Half-backs Jonathan Sexton and Conor Murray drove Ireland to a dogged 19-9 victory over France at the Aviva Stadium, their biggest winning margin against les Bleus in the Championship since 1975.
Recovering well from an early six-point deficit, Jonathan Sexton landed two penalties and an excellent 49th-minute drop goal to add to man-of-the-match Conor Murray’s sniping try on the half hour mark.
The wet conditions played their part in a defence-dominated encounter but with the home pack outworking their counterparts (CJ Stander and Jamie Heaslip weighed in with 40 carries and 28 tackles between them), Ireland were able to build on their 7-6 interval lead and give themselves a match-winning cushion.
Two Sexton penalties and that finely-struck drop goal were followed by Camille Lopez’s third successful penalty which made it a seven-point game with as many minutes remaining. However, Paddy Jackson came off the bench to send over the clinching 75th-minute penalty and ensure Ireland remain very much in the Six Nations title race.
Joe Schmidt’s men temporarily lead the table on 10 points ahead of England’s meeting with Italy tomorrow. Scotland have climbed into second place thanks to their impressive 29-13 dismissal of Wales, Ireland’s next opponents in Cardiff on Friday, March 10.
In his post-match interview, head coach Schmidt said: “It was really hard to control the ball. Even when it wasn’t drizzling, the surface was very greasy. It just meant that what we were endeavouring to do was pretty difficult. It was very, very hard to get anything in behind them.
“There was a lot of guys off their feet off the ruck, guys sweeping the ball out and kicking the ball out. It was a very frustrating first half. We were incredibly frustrated by the scrum as well. We’re a team that plays off more scrums than other team in the Six Nations but I think the French play off the least.
“It just frustrates me, the amount of scrums that collapsed when we were looking to play off them. We just want to get the ball and play.”
He added: “Johnny really controlled the game well, saw space well, took some really good options and as always didn’t shirk the physical stuff. It was great to have him back and great to see Conor on song in tough conditions when you really needed him.”
Garry Ringrose, who had another fine game alongside the ultra-physical Robbie Henshaw, almost wriggled through a gap from the first of his 17 carries, before his midfield opponent Gael Fickou led a threatening French charge out wide in a high-tempo start.
Fickou was involved again soon after, keeping the visitors on the front foot after Sexton had erred with a overcooked kick to touch. Neat footwork from Baptiste Serin saw him scamper through and it took a vital tackle from Heaslip to bring him down. The number 8 coughed up a penalty, however, and out-half Lopez kicked France into an 11th minute lead.
He added his second successful kick towards the end of the first quarter, Simon Zebo’s efforts to keep a difficult kick in play leading to a five-metre French scrum and a subsequent offside saw Ireland fall 6-0 behind. It might have been worse for the hosts but Remi Lamerat’s try was ruled out for a slight knock-on from Fickou.
Turnovers and indiscipline prevented Ireland from really testing France’s defence – they gave away five penalties inside the first 24 minutes – but a muscular maul from a Donnacha Ryan-won lineout punched a hole and lifted the home crowd.
It did not take long for the momentum to be turned into a try. Firstly, a crisp loop play involving Sexton and Ringrose sent the former racing up to the French 22 and his chip towards the right corner led to a five-metre scrum. After opting for a second scrum, Henshaw crashed it up before Murray used his strength to dive over at the second attempt and Sexton’s conversion took Ireland ahead.
The men in green could and perhaps should have had a second try before referee Nigel Owens’ half-time whistle. Sexton’s quick tap saw Keith Earls hauled down short, France thwarted a couple of lineout mauls and a further late bout of pressure – sparked by strong running from Ringrose and Murray – had no end-product.
There was some concern that Ireland would rue those missed opportunities and their decisions to turn down kicks at goal. Importantly, there was not dropping of intensity on the resumption, a good kick chase forcing Scott Spedding to knock on and Serin’s holding of Murray at a scrum saw Sexton make it 10-6, five minutes in.
It was nip and tuck stuff as a promising French attack was spoiled by Noa Nakaitaci’s forward pass, while Earls and Zebo gained ground in the lead up to Sexton’s superb drop goal which came as Ireland had a penalty advantage.
Although the rain was complicating matters, Ireland were increasingly efficient when in possession. Their half-backs held a growing tactical control and the forwards secured a 100% return on their own set piece ball – 22 lineouts and 7 scrums.
The heavily-involved Murray struck a peach of a clearance kick to claw back territory and a brilliant handling move – initiated by Sexton and carried on by Zebo, Heaslip and Murray – should have led to points of some kind.
Instead, France countered in eye-catching fashion through full-back Spedding and after Ireland failed to profit from a close-in lineout, winger Nakaitaci’s pace off the mark brought Guy Noves’ side back up to halfway.
Ireland’s bench made a solid impact, including recent debutant Niall Scannell and the fit-again trio of Andrew Trimble, Peter O’Mahony and Iain Henderson, although France showed more urgency as the minutes ticked by. Nonetheless, Ireland’s well-organised defence kept them try-less.
Lopez punished some obstruction from Devin Toner to put his team back within a converted score, but Jackson returned the favour when Louis Picamoles infringed, and Ireland had a relatively comfortable finish, replacement scrum half Kieran Marmion dictating behind a determined pack that allowed Sexton and Murray to have the greatest say.
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