On some level, this must all be a bit bewildering for France. Not the defeat – getting beaten in Dublin is no basis for panic or soul-searching. France have lost to Ireland before, they’ll lose to Ireland again. Swings, roundabouts, the ever-going tides. It’s more the fact that they could come to Lansdowne with some of their best stuff and still be sent home with their ears ringing. That’s new.
France were brilliant in patches here. More than in patches, actually. With 10 minutes left on the clock, they were within one score and in possession, inching their way up the pitch and fully entitled to believe there was a result still on offer for them. Their huge travelling support certainly believed as much – they were on their feet and belting out La Marseillaise as Ireland dug in. Lansdowne was throbbing.
That’s how it should be, isn’t it? The rankings say that these are the two best international sides in world rugby and nothing about the afternoon suggested the algorithm needs updating. Ireland deserved their win, unquestionably. But the visitors offered plenty too.
The atmosphere as we went into that closing stretch reflected it. This wasn’t the giddiness of a home crowd lording it. It was the thumping, shimmering sense that despite everything, France might find a way out of this one. Fabien Galthie had never lost to Ireland as a player or a coach. You don’t think he was on teams that were second best some of those days too?
[ Ireland’s grand ambition remains as France put to the sword in thrillerOpens in new window ]
Galthie came in afterwards and paid Ireland their due. Mad as it seems for one of the great tournaments in world sport, the French weren’t obliged to offer up an interpreter. “You’ll have to make do with Google Translate,” said the press liaison chap. We got the thrust of it, all the same.
The French coach called it a logical score and a logical loss. The defeat was a reflection of the match. France were able to keep the margin to six points coming towards the end but didn’t do enough when they had their opportunities. France weren’t efficient enough.
“We were very good, I found,” Galthie said. “Sometimes, we were even better than them, from a physical point of view. What weighed on us was not being able to score when we were doing well. And then, the Irish knew how to control the match. Tactically they were very good.”
Hard to argue with any of that. Some of the moves France put together sent the stadium into orbit. Damian Penaud’s try on 18 minutes was a boy’s own adventure of a thing, a rampaging fandango from inside the French 22 that included a 50-metre one-two with Anthony Jelonch and a whistling sprint to the line. It wasn’t on when Penaud got the ball. At least it wasn’t on in anyone’s mind but his.
Time and again, France backed themselves to run the ball out of sticky situations. Time and again, they got further than you’d have imagined possible. With Penaud and Ethan Dumortier scissoring in from either wing, they consistently left Ireland tacklers with their arms flailing and their balance askew.
Dumortier began the second half with an assault course run down the left, bouncing and spinning out of tackles, staying on his feet, mocking gravity. But Galthie was right – despite all the ground they made, they weren’t able to coax the scoreboard into vouching for them. Thomas Ramos’s drop goal shortly past the hour was their only score of the second half.
“We were a bit surprised actually at how much ball they played in and around their half,” said Andy Farrell afterwards. “They’re usually a lot more pragmatic than that. You’re only ever five seconds away from disaster against them, as the try showed. Whatever about [Antoine] Dupont, I don’t think either of their wingers were tackled in the game!”
[ Ireland v France Talking Point: Herring hit a blatant red cardOpens in new window ]
And yet, despite the best French efforts, the final verdict says they were soundly beaten. A 13-point defeat. Four tries to one. Umpteen Irish chances to make the scoreline even gaudier than it was in the end. Some monumental goal-line defence the main reason it wasn’t more.
That’s what must have the French scratching their heads a little after this. They fly back to Paris as the second best team in the world, having played well in a classic encounter. But in doing so, it’s perfectly feasible that the gap to number one just got wider.
In the long history of Franco-Irish rugby relations, that has to take a bit of getting used to.
