France on course for Grand Slam after defeating Ireland in enthralling encounter

• France race to a 10-0 early lead before Ireland strike back in pulsating first half
• Visitors get to within a point of hosts having been 12 points down
• Ireland lose for first time in 10 matches after determined effort at a raucous Stade de France

If France do end up winning their first Six Nations title since 2010, possibly a Grand Slam, and from there go on to thrill at their home World Cup in 18 months’ time, they will surely look back on this game as a key moment in their development. What a Test match. What a day of rugby.

Fabian Galthie’s team ultimately emerged 30-24 winners, sending the Stade de France into raptures as Romain Ntamack booted the ball into the stands with the clock in the red. But they had to withstand a monumental effort from Ireland in the second half. 

This was a game from which both teams emerged with plenty of credit in the bank, Andy Farrell's men outscoring their hosts three tries to two in the final reckoning and answering a lot of questions in the process. Not least the big one, which has been hanging over Ireland for years: How will they manage without Johnny Sexton?

The late withdrawal of Ireland’s captain due to a hamstring tweak thrust Joey Carbery centre stage. And all eyes were on the 26-year-old Munster fly-half to see whether he could fill Johnny’s size 10s. The answer was a resounding yes.

After a quiet first 40 minutes in which he saw little of the ball, such was the dominance of France’s heavyweight pack, Carbery looked increasingly assured in the second period, linking well with Jamison Gibson-Park inside him, and becoming more and more ambitious in terms of the plays he was calling. 

Ireland are amassing a squad capable of challenging the world’s best, and Carbery has now shown himself capable, not only of standing in for Sexton in a big match, but of offering Ireland something different, something more instinctive. 

Even had Sexton, the ultimate game-manager, been on the pitch rather than in the stands - he was roundly booed when his face appeared on the big screen at one point - there was little he could have done about France’s dominance in the opening half.

Feeding off an electric atmosphere inside the Stade de France, the home side were irrepressible, smashing into contact, winning the gainline, and providing the platform for World Rugby’s player of the year Antoine Dupont to strut his considerable stuff. 

It took the man nicknamed the ‘Minister for the Interior’ just 67 seconds to make inroads into Ireland’s hinterland, racing onto a one-handed offload from Romain Ntamack and crossing for the game’s first try. Bienvenue à Paris.

In a breathless opening 10 minutes, the two teams went toe to toe. Ireland poured upfield only for Caelan Doris to spill a pass inside France’s 22m, allowing France to kick into the acres of space behind. That led to a penalty from which Jaminet put France 10-0 up.

This time Ireland did strike back immediately. Mack Hansen, on only his second start for Ireland following his move from the Brumbies to Connacht six months ago, plucked Carbery’s restart out of the hands of Jaminet and raced away unopposed for his first try in green.

Both sets of supporters were loving it. 

Ireland did not get much change out of Angus Gardner in those opening exchanges, the Australian endearing himself to the French public ahead of next year’s World Cup.

But there was no disputing the dominance of France’s pack who enjoyed a considerable weight advantage. They absolutely steamrollered Ireland; Cyril Baille and Uini Atonio giving Andrew Porter and Tadhg Furlong their most torrid half of rugby in a long while, impressing not just at the set piece but ball in hand too. What a pack France have.

It wasn’t just brute strength either. Shaun Edwards has this France team so well drilled, mixing up when and how many to commit to rucks, giving their magicians the time and space to conjure magic. Which they do, frequently.

Dupont threw a wonderful looping flat pass to Penaud on the halfway line after 34 minutes which was worth the admission price alone, taking out four Ireland defenders in one go and leading to a penalty which put France 19-7 up at the break.

The second half began as the first ended, with France on the front foot and Ireland conceding penalties, Jaminet adding yet another three points from the tee. But this Ireland team have some fight in them. And as the huge French pack began to tire, so Ireland began to fire. 

The indefatigable van der Flier scored from a lineout drive to make it 22-14. Suddenly the unmistakable scent of blood was wafting around the Stade. Gibson-Park nipped through a gap the size of the Arc de Triomphe to notch Ireland’s third try of the game, making it 22-21.

TRY!