Ireland v France: 60 second report on the key moments from the match
By Simon Lewis
For lesser teams the losses of Johnny Sexton and Paul O'Connell as well as a missed gilt-edged try chance would have seen heads drop but Ireland emerged stronger after the break, drawing first blood in the second half through a brilliantly worked team try finished by Rob Kearney, ensuring the 24-9 victory.
Paul O'Connell's premature exit on a stretcher at half-time was greeted by a standing ovation from a predominantly Irish crowd who sensed thisb would be the last time their captain would be seen in a green jersey. But how Ireland responded, to the loss of their skipper and fellow leaders Sexton and Peter O'Mahony, with an heroic second-half performance.
A man of the match performance from Sean O'Brien, the openside flanker who carried and tackled as if his life depended on it, and stepped into the breach when his team lost leaders of thecalibre of Sexton, O'Connell and O'Mahony. The shame is, his punch to the stomach of Pascal Pape did not go unnoticed and a citing will surely follow. A pointless act that has massive repercussions.
Nigel Owens was his usual commanding self, in total control of a high intensity, high stakes and full-blooded Test match.
Ireland 12 France 9 (6-6 at h-t)
Calamity for Ireland as both Johnny Sexton and Paul O'Connell were lost to injury in the first half, and Peter O'Mahony followed on a stretcher after the break. All three players appeared to be in serious trouble and the Irish management will nervously await the medical reports, Keith Earls also going off, seemingly in discomfort.
Let the knockout stages begin. Ireland's win means a seven-day turnaround before returning to the Millennium Stadium on Sunday afternoon for a quarter-final meeting with Pool C runners-up Argentina. France's fate as runners-up is a Saturday quarter-final rematch of the 2011 final with champions New Zealand.
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