Ireland finally show why they’re second in world

It may be too late to conjure another final-day lunge for the line in this Guinness Six Nations but you can only imagine the relief in the Ireland camp last night after they laid to rest the psychological after-effects of that opening-day home defeat to England.

This bonus-point victory over a physical but directionless France side re-established a bridgehead at Aviva Stadium on Ireland’s return there for the first time since they suffered a championship loss on home soil for the only time in Joe Schmidt’s six-year tenure. It also keeps last year’s Grand Slam winners in the hunt for a successful title defence this Saturday, though both Wales, whom they face in Cardiff, and England, who welcome Scotland to Twickenham, are better positioned to realise their own ambitions.