Three tries were not enough for Ireland as an ice-cool Melvyn Jaminet kicked France to a 30-24 Guinness Six Nations win at the Stade de France.
Antoine Dupont’s try after just 67 seconds ignited the French challenge, Mack Hansen replying with a terrific score – straight from a restart – but Ireland fell 19-7 behind by half-time.
Although Jaminet’s fifth penalty widened the margin to 15 points, Ireland stormed back with well-taken tries from Josh van der Flier, off a lineout maul, and Jamison Gibson-Park, slicing through from a ruck.
Out-half Joey Carbery, on his first Six Nations start, converted all three of the visitors’ tries – closing the gap to 22-21 – and landed a penalty in response to a Cyril Baille try for les Bleus.
In the end, Fabien Galthié’s men stood firm as a late kick from 22-year-old full-back Jaminet, who finished with 15 points, consigned Ireland to their first defeat in 10 Tests.
It took just over a minute for France to get on the scoreboard, the home support responding to Dupont’s quickly-taken lineout and an almost immediate sense of urgency.
Eager to land the first blow, Yoram Moefana’s offload stuck and Uini Atonio carried well. Romain Ntamack then got in between two defenders, his offload back inside finding Dupont for a gleeful scamper to the try-line.
Jaminet made it a seven-pointer but Ireland responded strongly, Ronan Kelleher forcing a turnover and Bundee Aki bringing them up into the French 22 before Caelan Doris fumbled a pass.
The French countered with a kick downfield, the impressive Gabin Villière following up to win a turnover penalty and Jaminet delivered from the tee, leaving it 10-0 after just six minutes.
Carbery and Hansen combined brilliantly straight from the restart, the Connacht winger swooping to claim the kick, ahead of a stunned Damian Penaud and Jaminet, and go over untouched for his first international try.
The difficult conversion was confidently nailed too by Carbery, but France were winning the mini battles. Jack Conan was isolated off the back of a maul and Jaminet turned Paul Willemse’s turnover penalty into three points.
Les Bleus had further success in disrupting the Irish lineout and slowing up their ruck ball, van Flier going close to a steal before hooker Kelleher unfortunately had to come off injured.
Tadhg Furlong carried powerfully, often at first receiver, but France maintained a robust defence, picking their moments with an Anthony Jelonch poach and some piledriving tackles.
Jaminet’s increasingly-influential right boot extended the French lead just before the break, firing over two more penalties in the 35th and 40th minutes.
An attack inspired by a superb raking pass from Dupont preceded the first one, and Hugo Keenan kicked the ball dead before the Irish scrum coughed up a second penalty of the evening.
Although captain James Ryan was able to resume following a HIA, Ireland fell further behind in the 43rd minute when Jaminet punished Andrew Conway for a tight offside call.
Andrew Porter led Ireland’s response, getting in at the breakdown to win a penalty straight from the restart. Caelan Doris collected the lineout and provide crucial support as van der Flier broke off to score in the left corner.
The flanker’s try sparked Ireland’s best spell of the game, Carbery again coolly converting from out wide and Keenan soon striding through midfield on a threatening break.
Now operating off quicker ball, a penalty plunged them back into scoring range and the French defence gave up a sliver of space for Gibson-Park to snap up Ireland’s second try.
After good carries from Furlong and replacement Dan Sheehan, the scrum half sniped around the side of a ruck, dummying past Willemse and accelerating through to score just beside the posts.
Carbery’s conversion made it a one-point game, but only briefly despite Keenan and Conan managing to bundle the dangerous Villière into touch, following some deft footwork from Penaud.
A big counter-ruck forced the ball to squirt out of an Irish ruck, France gobbled it up and Atonio skittled defenders before fellow prop Baille barged over past two more.
His 53rd-minute try went unconverted, Jaminet suffering his only miss with the scoreboard showing 27-21. The French bench became a factor, reenergising their big set of forwards.
Ryan, who captained Ireland for the first time in a Six Nations fixture, went close to a turnover on the ground, while the newly-introduced Iain Henderson made an impact in the set piece and the loose.
Conor Murray and the fit-again Robbie Henshaw also entered the fray, past the hour mark. France managed to disrupt another Irish lineout, taking the gloss off Tadhg Beirne’s terrific 50:22 kick.
Nonetheless, Andy Farrell’s charges battled on, Porter and Garry Ringrose gaining ground before Henshaw did well to track back and claim a kick after the French had swiftly turned defence into attack.
Ireland lifted the tempo, with sharper passing and angles of running, launching forward from a Doris turnover and a subsequent lineout. Hansen, Ryan and Carbery provided momentum in their carries.
The net result was a penalty with little over eight minutes left. With the decision to go for the posts, Carbery’s well-struck kick made it 27-23 and was ultimately enough for a losing bonus point.
France had a little bit more in the tank, retrieving Gaël Fickou’s kick over the top to pile forward. A sweeping move out to the left put Jaminet through for a possible try.
TMO Ben Whitehouse was called into action and his review went in Ireland’s favour, Sheehan doing superbly well to hold up the full-back and deny him a clear grounding of the ball.
Crucially, the French were playing with a penalty advantage, and Jaminet’s 78th-minute strike proved decisive in a tense finish to this heavyweight clash.
Source: Irish Rugby