Ireland 27-42 France: 'Free-scoring Bleus leave Irish history tilt in tatters'

After Ireland's 27-42 defeat to France in the Six Nations, a somewhat untimely farewell ceremony took place at Dublin's Aviva Stadium. As the big screen played a video tribute to three retiring Irish legends, most of the crowd had already left, seemingly still immersed in the blue shadows of the game's loss. The atmosphere was somber as fans reflected on the missed opportunities.

Peter O'Mahony, Conor Murray, and Cian Healy have collectively represented Ireland 374 times, boasting a wealth of experience. However, even these most seasoned players would struggle to recall a time when Ireland was so thoroughly outplayed. With 37 minutes remaining and Dan Sheehan's try helping to overturn a halftime deficit, they still had a chance to make history by winning a Grand Slam and the tournament's first-ever three-peat. This potential victory seemed within reach.

However, in the ensuing brilliant spell, France scored 34 unanswered points, not only taking control of the match but also gaining the upper hand in the Six Nations title race, potentially influencing what has been the most decisive rivalry in the tournament over the past four seasons. If France wins against Scotland next weekend, this half-hour performance will be seen as a pivotal moment in their season, with their strength and talent displayed after star player and captain Antoine Dupont left the field injured being particularly impressive. This victory would solidify their position.

Ireland captain Caelan Doris stated, "We've seen them (France) do that before, we've experienced it firsthand, and we've seen it in other games this season. A big message for us this week was stopping them getting on the front foot, stopping them getting quick ball. We didn't do that well enough." Ireland needed to disrupt France's momentum more effectively.

Ireland's interim head coach Simon Easterby believes France's dominance in the collisions was another reason they were able to advance so smoothly. He said, "When they get on top of you and get on the front foot, they're very powerful. That's a lot to do with us not getting the dominance in the collisions, but also credit to the way they played." France's physicality proved to be a significant advantage.

Over the past four seasons, these two teams have each won two direct encounters, both having secured victories on each other's home turf. Unless France falters next weekend, they are likely to each secure two titles. However, rarely during this period has one team made the other feel so powerless, even if only for half an hour. This level of dominance was particularly striking.

Ireland will certainly point to areas where they could have performed better, and usually do. Joe McCarthy's first-half yellow card seemed particularly unnecessary, resulting in them playing with one less player for 20 minutes for the second consecutive game. Furthermore, they lacked sufficient efficiency during their periods of dominance. Given that France's final score came from Damian Penaud's interception near his own goal line, it could be argued that France also gained the same seven points from Ireland's attacks into their 22-meter area during the first 75 minutes of the game. These mistakes proved costly.

After defeating Wales and securing the Triple Crown last month, Easterby stated that the motivation for this Irish team was to "chase things that other teams potentially can't do." However, for the second consecutive Six Nations, such ambitions were thwarted in the fourth round. Last year, at Twickenham, their hopes of a back-to-back Grand Slam were dashed by England. And this time, their unprecedented three-peat hopes also vanished. While they still have a slim chance of salvaging a title from the ruins, the emotional shift is undoubtedly significant. The team's morale has taken a hit.

Ireland hasn't suffered consecutive losses since 2021, and Doris quickly turned his attention to next week's game against Italy in Rome. He said, "Regardless of how the table looks, we still want to perform to the best of our ability and put a full stop on it for the (retiring) lads and for the group as a whole." However, for a team that has consistently strived for iconic achievements, coupled with the failure to break through the quarter-finals at the 2023 World Cup, there is an undeniable sense that they have missed three opportunities in just 17 months. The pressure to perform is mounting.