Vintage French turn the screw

FRANCE were in a different class at Lansdowne Road on Saturday and Ireland were lucky their opponents still haven’t learned to play flat-out for 80 minutes. Otherwise it could have been very embarrassing.

The Grand Slam dream has been shattered and about the only positive to be taken from the defeat is that there is a Triple Crown and RBS Six Nations Championship title to be played for in Cardiff on Saturday.

However, Ireland go there in the knowledge that the cracks that appeared against Italy and England were blown wide open this time.