Spot on Irish tactics starved Les Bleus

FOR Ireland to start a match at Lansdowne Road as favourites against a team such as France and come through to win is a huge step forward, especially when the French had revenge on their minds after last season’s win by Ireland at the Stade de France.

For once, most of the pre-game predictions came true. The French did try to attack the Irish scrum and although it creaked on occasions the French were never able to gain the dominance they needed to use the scrum as a launching pad for their own attack.