Head-To-Head: Ireland v France

2007 RBS 6 NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP: Sunday, February 11

IRELAND v FRANCE, Croke Park, 3pm

Championship Meetings – All-Time:

Played – 77
Ireland Won – 26
France Won – 46
Drawn – 5

Championship Meetings – At Home:

Played – 38
Ireland Won – 16
France Won – 18
Drawn – 4

Biggest Points Win:

Ireland 24-0 (1913)
France 44-5 (2002)

IRELAND:

Matches Played: 36
Matches Won (%): 26 (72%)
Matches Lost (%): 10 (27%)
Most Wins In A Season: 4 (x4)
Total Points Scored: 965
Total Points Conceded: 746
Total Tries Scored (Average Per Match): 98 (2.7)
Total Tries Conceded (Average Per Match): 74 (2.1)
Overall Six Nations Ranking (Points): Second (52 Points)

Championship Record:

Championship Wins: 10
Grand Slams: 1
Triple Crowns: 8

Highest Score: 60 (60-13 v Italy, 2000)
Biggest Win: 47 (60-13 v Italy, 2000)
Highest Score Conceded: 50 (50-18 v England, 2000)
Biggest Defeat: 40 (46-6 v England, 1997)
Most Appearances: 56 Mike Gibson (1964-1979)
Most Points In Matches: 322 Ronan O’Gara (2000-2007)
Most Points In A Match: 30 Ronan O’Gara (v Italy, 2000)
Most Tries In A Match: 3 on 7 occasions, last by Brian O’Driscoll (v Scotland, 2002)
Most Conversions In A Match: 6 Ronan O’Gara (v Italy, 2000)
Most Penalties In A Match: 6 Ollie Campbell (v Scotland, 1982), Ronan O’Gara (v Italy, 2000) and David Humphreys (v Wales, 2002)
Most Drop Goals In A Match: 2 William McCombe (v France, 1975), Eric Elwood (v England, 1993) and David Humphreys (v Wales, 1999)

Current Form:

Last Ten Matches: WWWLLLWWWW
Points Scored: 262 Points; Points Conceded: 183
Tries Scored: 29 Tries; Tries Conceded: 19 Tries

FRANCE:

Matches Played: 36
Matches Won (%): 27 (75%)
Matches Lost (%): 9 (25%)
Most Wins In A Season: 5 (x2)
Total Points Scored: 1029
Total Points Conceded: 610
Total Tries Scored (Average Per Match): 103 (2.9)
Total Tries Conceded (Average Per Match): 51 (1.4)
Overall Six Nations Ranking (Points): First (54 Points)

Championship Record:

Championship Wins: 15
Grand Slams: 8

Highest Score: 56 (56-13 v Italy, 2005)
Biggest Win: 51 (51-0 v Wales, 1998)
Highest Score Conceded: 49 (49-19 v Wales, 1910)
Biggest Defeat: 37 (37-0 v England, 1911)
Most Appearances: 50 Philippe Sella (1983-1995)
Most Points In Matches: 144 Christophe Lamaison (1997-2001)
Most Points In A Match: 24 Sebastien Viars (v Ireland, 1992), Christophe Lamaison (v Scotland, 1997) and Jean-Baptiste Elissalde (v Wales, 2004)
Most Tries In A Match: 3 by 5 players, last by Emile Ntamack (v Wales, 1999)
Most Conversions In A Match: 6 Dimitri Yachvili (v Italy, 2003)
Most Penalties In A Match: 7 Gerald Merceron (v Italy, 2002)
Most Drop Goals In A Match: 3 Pierre Albaladejo (v Ireland, 1960) and Jean-Patrick Lescarboura (v England, 1985)

Current Form:

Last Ten Matches: LWWWWWLLWW
Points Scored: 264 Points; Points Conceded: 210
Tries Scored: 31 Tries; Tries Conceded: 19 Tries

Team Totals – 2007 Six Nations (After First Weekend):

Ireland:

Tries: 3
Penalty Try: 0
Conversions: 2/3
Penalty Goals: 0/1
Drop Goals: 0/0

Scrums Won: 13
Scrums Lost: 0
Lineouts Won: 14
Lineouts Lost: 2
Penalties Conceded: 10
Drives From Rucks: 30
Passes From Rucks: 29
Mauls Won: 1
Ball Won In Open Play: 60
Ball Won In Opponents’ 22: 14
Set Piece Ball Won: 34

Kicks To Touch: 14
Errors From Kicks: 5
Offloads In Tackle: 7
Tackles Made: 72
Tackles Missed: 8
Total Errors Made: 5
Turnovers Won: 13
Free Kicks Conceded: 1
Passes Completed: 129
Possession Kicked: 17

France:

Tries: 5
Penalty Try: 0
Conversions: 4/5
Penalty Goals: 2/2
Drop Goals: 0/1

Scrums Won: 8
Scrums Lost: 0
Lineouts Won: 18
Lineouts Lost: 8
Penalties Conceded: 5
Drives From Rucks: 14
Passes From Rucks: 47
Mauls Won: 12
Ball Won In Open Play: 73
Ball Won In Opponents’ 22: 17
Set Piece Ball Won: 32

Kicks To Touch: 10
Errors From Kicks: 2
Offloads In Tackle: 13
Tackles Made: 118
Tackles Missed: 12
Total Errors Made: 20
Turnovers Won: 8
Free Kicks Conceded: 2
Passes Completed: 122
Possession Kicked: 34

Did You Know?:

* Ireland will play their first rugby union Test match at Croke Park on Sunday, the home of the GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association)

* Ireland have not beaten France since early 2003, losing four successive Tests, including a World Cup quarter-final in Melbourne

* A French victory in Dublin would put them firmly on course to land a record fourth Six Nations title