Ireland got themselves right back into contention for the 2017 RBS 6 Nations title as they withstood a fast start from France to ease to a 19-9 win at the Aviva Stadium.
With a win and a loss from two games on the road, Ireland returned to Dublin knowing only a win would keep them in contention, but Conor Murray’s try got them out of an early hole and they controlled the game from then on.
Follow the RBS 6 Nations on Facebook and Twitter
France had the better of the first 20 minutes, taking a 6-0 lead and seeing a Rémi Lamerat try disallowed but from then on it was Ireland who seized momentum.
Murray’s try gave them the narrowest of leads at the break, and then 11 points from the boot of the returning Johnny Sexton put the game beyond Les Bleus.
FAST START FROM FRANCE There was plenty of intensity from both sides early on and it was France who broke the deadlock on 11 minutes with a Camille Lopez penalty. It came from a brilliant snipe by Baptiste Serin, and having broken initially he left Rob Kearney standing with a fantastic step, Jamie Heaslip eventually conceding the penalty for killing the ball.
A second Lopez penalty stretched the lead to six but it could have been more for the French. Lopez had kicked wide for Yoann Huget and while he had the ball stripped, Gaël Fickou was on hand to scoop up and feed Rémi Lamerat for the score. Unfortunately for France, Fickou had knocked on as he picked up and they went back for the advantage with Lopez slotting.
Click here to play the 2017 RBS 6 Nations Fantasy Game
France had enjoyed the better of the first quarter but Ireland started to come back into it, playing for territory and using their maul to good effect.
IRISH RESPONSE
And it was off one such maul that Sexton confounded Fickou to go through and then his chip over the top sparked confusion with Noa Nakaitaci tapping down to give Ireland a five-metre scrum.
After an initial penalty they used another scrum to set up Robbie Henshaw for a charge. When he was stopped Murray spotted the space around the ruck and showed his power to force his way over. Sexton’s conversion gave the home side the lead with half an hour gone.
They could and probably should have been further clear by the break, but the French defence held under immense pressure.
Ireland had turned down a number of kickable opportunities in the first half but when they got a first chance in the second following an obstruction from Serin, Sexton stepped up to push the lead to four.
France were struggling for make any ground, whereas Ireland seemed to be constantly on the front foot, extending their lead to seven with a Sexton drop goal.
The hosts were coping better with the pouring rain, and after a Scott Spedding knock-on France broke early from a scrum giving Sexton three more easy points to make it a two-score game.
Another Irish try seemed inevitable as they pounded away in the French 22 but a knock-on led to Spedding racing away. France got the ball back but eventually knocked on after an incredible passage of play.
BENCH IMPACT
France needed a response and the introduction of their replacements seemed to give them some impetus with one long passage of play in Irish territory, but they couldn’t find a way through and eventually conceded a penalty for a dangerous clearout by Uini Atonio.
They did draw back to within seven though when Devin Toner was penalised for offside, with Lopez adding three more points.
But almost immediately France infringed, Louis Picamoles the guilty party, and Paddy Jackson slotted the penalty that put the game out of reach.
Click here for the complete 2017 RBS 6 Nations fixture list
