Ireland’s bid for a fifth Grand Slam was ended by a powerful display of Six Nations rugby from France at the Aviva Stadium.
The 27-42 scoreline speaks volumes of France’s dominance in a game where Ireland were on the back foot from the start after losing influential winger James Lowe to a back spasm injury in the warm-up, being replaced by James Osborne.
Ireland’s ambitions of an historic three-peat of Six Nations titles is also in tatters going into next week’s final game against Italy.
With now ahead of Simon Easterby’s side by one point in the standings, Les Bleus hold all the aces for the final day.
Ireland failed to make their early pressure count and shot themselves in the foot midway through the opening half.
Firstly, Joe McCarthy was sin-binned for next 10 minutes as the TMO’s camera spotted the 23-year-old second-row pulling Thomas Ramos back off the ball.
Ireland’s loss proved France’s gain two minutes later as the maul rolled forward and the brilliant Antoine Dupont scanned left and right.
With Louis Bielle-Biarrey in acres of space, the 28-year-old scrum-half fizzed a flat pass into the Bordeaux-Begles winger’s arms and he dotted down with ease.
Luckily, Ramos missed the chance to add two extra points from the conversion.
Fortunes, however, swung back in Ireland’s favour only ten minutes later as Dupont was forced out of the action as he appeared to injure his leg in a ruck which Tadgh Beirne and Andrew Porter countered.
A beautiful moment of sportsmanship ensued as Lansdowne Road applauded the scrum-half off the field, with Maxime Lucu replaces the Toulouse man.
Gregory Alldritt pleaded with the Australian arbiter to look at the footage involving Dupont’s injury, as he appeared to say it was an ACL injury.
Ireland finally got on the scoreboard in the 34th minute when Paul Boudehent was penalised for a tackle off the ball on Beirne. Sam Prendergast obliged with the three points.
Ramos restored France’s five-point lead shortly afterwards, when Andrew Porter was penalised for preventing a contest with with winger Damien Penaud.
However, Prendergast brought the deficit back to two points, with a long-range penalty on the stroke of half-time.
A fired-up home side emerged for the second-half, and got off to a dream start when Dan Sheehan spotted a shortage of French jerseys on the blindside and blasted his way over the line.
However, Les Bleus struck back again to silence the Aviva and draw level at 13-13 on 48 minutes when Boudehent crashed over. France played the penalty advantage and worked their way up to the Irish ’22.
The added extra edged France ahead by 15-13.
Peter O’Mahony raised the roof and left the field for the final time in an Ireland jersey on 50 minutes, being replaced by Jack Conan.
However, the romance was short-lived as France broke clear and caught Ireland for pace in a race to the end zone.
France counter-rucked and Maxime Lucu spotted the space out wide. It was the Bordeaux-Begles men to the fore as Penaud fed Bielle-Biarrey. The winger stabbed a grubber kick in behind and races on to re-gather it.
Ramos’ conversion made it 22-13 to the visitors, and shortly after a penalty from the full-back made it 25-13 in favour of France and left Easterby’s side with an uphill battle.
Another France try looked to have sealed the deal as Oscar Jegou went over on 60 minutes, with Ramos yet again on target from the spot.
At 32-13, and 20 minutes remaining, Ireland’s Grand Slam dream was in tatters.
The imperious Ramos further stretched that lead to 13-35 with another perfect penalty on 67 minutes.
Ireland pushed for a try of their own and Penaud galloped over for his record-breaking 38th-try for France.
Ramos conversion made it 27-42.
However, Ireland battled back with a deserved try for Cian Healy and Prendergast adding the extras.
Conan added another try to reduce the arrears and Prendergast’s extras finished the action as the focus turns to Italy in Rome next week.
France actually had the turnover there but Cyril Baille coughed up the penalty. With space out wide, Ireland go through the hands as Conor Murray spots Conan in space to ground it.
Ireland set the maul and Healy, using all his experience, bounces off the first tackle and crosses the whitewash. The celebrations are muted but Ireland’s most decorated rugby player in terms of caps gets a fitting standing ovation.
Ireland’ are picked off by Thomas Ramos who gallops the length of the field and frees up Damian Penaud who gallops over for his record-breaking 38th-try for France.
A tackle off the ball by Meafou earlier in phase play is the cause for the infringement.
Not for the first time today, La Marseillaise rings out in Lansdowne Road.