France vs Ireland LIVE: Six Nations rugby result and final score as Melvyn Jaminet seals thrilling victory
France 30-24 Ireland: Follow latest reaction from Stade de France as Les Blues ended the visitors’ unbeaten run in a Six Nations thriller
Follow live reaction as France defeated Ireland in a thrilling Six Nations match in Paris. Antoine Dupont scored the opening try within two minutes as the hosts made a dream start, before Mack Hansen stole the ball from a high kick as Ireland struck back.
Melvyn Jaminet kicked France into a commanding lead at half-time only for Ireland respond thanks to quickfire scores from Josh van der Flier and Jamison Gibson-Park.
Cyril Baille put France back in control and while Joey Carbery cut the lead to three points thanks to a late penalty, Jaminet sealed the win at the death to end Ireland’s unbeaten run and put the hosts in control of the Six Nations.
It leaves France at the top of the table and with the only unbeaten record after Wales defeated Scotland in Cardiff earlier in the day. England can join Ireland, Wales and Scotland on one win with a victory tomorrow in Rome.
Follow all the reaction from the Stade de France blow:
Ireland's Call
By the sounds of the healthy accompaniment for the Irish players as they sing “Ireland’s Call”, there are plenty of green shirts hidden amongst the French fans. It appears a fair few Ireland supporters have taken advantage of a Valentine’s weekend in Paris - there are certainly worse places to be, and worse games to watch.
The players assembled themslves in the tunnel
The two sets of players line up alongside one another in the Stade de France tunnel. Antoine Dupont looks straight ahead, daring not glance across at James Ryan.
Paris looks a picture, lit in red, white and blue, with flags waving in the stands.
Shorn of Johnny Sexton, Ireland’s attacking orchestra face huge Six Nations test in France
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Player to Watch – Cyril Baille
I would suggest that Cyril Baille would have a fair shout at being just about the best loosehead prop in the world right now. Generally rock solid at the scrum, it is Baille’s silken touches that more often catch the eye, a lovely varied carrier and distributor at the line who does not mind open expanses or more crowded commutes.
Of course, he’s up against a man after his own heart, and a man more certain of his position atop the prop pecking order. Tadhg Furlong was again brilliant last weekend but there was perhaps some faint creaking from the Irish scrum – with the comically large couplet of Paul Willemse and Uini Atonio likely to attack partner Andrew Porter, Furlong will have to drop a strong anchor against Baille to emerge top of the props.
Player to Watch – James Ryan
There has been plenty of focus on how Joey Carbery will go about replacing Johnny Sexton in Paris, but rather less spotlight on the fly-half’s replacement as Ireland skipper. Of course, James Ryan has done the job before, and rather well, with his level-headedness and ability to lead from the front making him a natural fit.
Looking forward, the point has been made so often that Sexton’s advancing years make full participation at the World Cup unlikely, so Ireland will wish to groom the right lieutenant. A strength of this Ireland side are the leaders who lie throughout the squad but Ryan would make a sensible deputy, even if the competition for second row places is immense with Iaian Henderson, another captaincy contender, fit again. After a couple of fallower years, if Ireland are to win against the odds then Ryan may have an integral role to play.
Player to Watch – Yoram Moefana
There will be a fair few faces watching on eagerly in the French overseas territory of Wallis and Futuna, with a couple of Les Bleus of Wallisian heritage in the matchday 23, incuding Romain Taofifenua. Moefana was born in the South Pacific and is yet another nascent French star who has been so impressive for Bordeaux-Begles this season and created plenty off the pine after relieving Jonathan Danty a week ago.
He is of a different archetype to Danty’s forthright stylings, but Moefana is not afraid to try things and the all-court game to get the watchers in Mata Utu out of their seats, keeping a player of Virimi Vakatawa’s class out of the matchday 23 all together. Moefana may have to go 80 minutes and, as Wales showed last week, dealing with the Ireland midfield is no easy task, so he will be grateful to have a player of the savvy and skill of Gael Fickou alongside him.
Player to Watch – Andrew Conway
Mack Hansen might have stolen his thunder a little on debut on the opposite wing last week but it was another fine outing for Andrew Conway in Irish green. Two more tries means the uber-reliable Munsterman now has 15 scores in 28 international appearances, an enviable strike-rate for a player whose work-rate, particularly off the ball, are more often discussed.
Conway revealed that he had actually been a little under the weather at the Aviva Stadium: "I’m grand, I’m fine," he said. "I just felt a bit ‘dodge’ on Friday night. But to be honest I didn’t even think I was feeling dodgy. When you’re preparing for Test match at times obviously there are nerves and it’s a big occasion, so I didn’t even realise until I started puking.
"I think what happens is you use your mind to not allow it in, you just convince yourself that you are feeling fine, you don’t say it to anyone, unless you’re really struggling.”
Conway has another difficult brief in Paris, likely to have to plenty of his usual haring after high bombs to do and also handling last week’s hat-trick scorer Gabin Villiere wiry wiles when France play wider.
Team News - Ireland
Had Wednesday’s training session proceeded without incident then Ireland would have been unchanged, but Johnny Sexton’s tweaked hamstring leaves the visitors without their fly-half and skipper. Stepping up in his stead will be Joey Carbery to pull the strings and James Ryan to lead.
Otherwise, it is as you were from the start, though Andy Farrell is able to call upon a pair of punchy bench reinforcements. Iain Henderson and Robbie Henshaw are short of match fitness but add plenty to a bench that includes five players with more than 50 caps, veteran nous that may be useful come the pointy end of the Paris night.
Ireland: Keenan; Conway, Ringrose, Aki, Hansen; Carbery, Gibson-Park; Porter, Kelleher, Furlong, Beirne, Ryan (capt), Doris, Van der Flier, Conan.
Replacements: Sheehan, Healy, Bealham, Henderson, O’Mahony, Murray, Carty, Henshaw.
Team News – France
Adjustments were always likely to be minor to a settled French side that shook off the rust against Italy last week. Fabien Galthie, back amongst things after spending last weekend in isolation, makes two changes: Jonathan Danty’s injury sees Yoram Moefana promoted from the bench to start in the centres, a very different of player but one whose excellent Bordeaux form was evidenced by an enterprising cameo last Sunday.
The other alteration comes in the back row, where Francois Cros is preferred to Dylan Cretin – slightly less lineout spring, slightly more physicality and breakdown ability around the park. The bench is fully loaded, too, with six forwards ready to make their mark, including former Loughborough student and Wasps lock Thibaud Flament, once a fly-half.
France: Jaminet; Penaud, Fickou, Moefana, Villiere; Ntamack, Dupont (capt); Baille, Marchand, Atonio, Woki, Willense, Cros, Jelonch, Alldritt.
Replacements: Mauvaka, Gros, Bamba, Taofifenua, Flament, Cretin, Lucu, Ramos
Wales 20-17 Scotland
A much-needed win for Wales, and another reminder of just how fine the margins are in this grand competition. Scotland edged out England last week but found themselves on the other end of a three-point difference today, and while Liam Williams and Wayne Pivac scoffed at their captain’s decision to take the three, Dan Biggar’s drop-goal decided things.
We’ll have plenty more reaction to and analysis of Wales’ win over the next couple of days, but the tight schedule means action is fast approaching in Paris - it’s time for a meeting of the Six Nations’ two remaining unbeaten sides...
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