Six Nations player ratings: Sobering afternoon for Ireland against magnificent France
Tadhg Beirne was an all-round presence for Ireland on a losing afternoon against France. Pic: ©INPHO/Ben Brady
Master of the skies. Keenan was rock-solid under the high ball. Wherever it was that he needed to be, the Leinster full-back got there and made the catch. Could make no inroads in attack, however. 5.5
Adapted well enough to the late re-shuffle. Osborne went out to his more natural side on the left where his boot was Lowe-like in its distance and usefulness. Also went looking for work, popping up here and there but couldn’t find an opening. 5.5
Resolute as ever in what he did in attack and defence but was always up against the fliers in France, not able to do anything as Loius Bielle-Biarrey sped past en route to his second-half try. 5.5
Bloodied again but didn’t bow. An early boot to the face left Aki on familiar terrain, in the wars and primed for battle. Aki was in the thick of everything but the ferocious physical contest saw him make way early in the second half. 5
Into the furnace with the late-call-up. No matter how much you know you’re on stand-by, the shock of stripping off in the warm-up is no easy thing. Lowe’s back spasm misery was Nash’s opportunity. Careless in an upright tackle on Barassi that led to a yellow card. 5
On his mettle for the full metal jacket. Prendergast knew there would be French tonnage headed down his channel. The out-half coped well in such a thunderous encounter. Passed with his usual aplomb and dipped into his box of kicking tricks, over-hitting one on Ramos but landing a massive 50m penalty for a half-time boost. A tough outing, though. 6
The top-billing clash with Dupont fizzled out with the unfortunate injury to the French scrum-half and Gibson-Park had to up his game after a patchy opening. Scrapped away but it was France’s day. 5.5
At the heart of the battle, both at the set-piece where Porter had to contend with the massive challenge of the French Bomb Squad but it was to prove no more than a holding operation until the dam was breached. 5.5
On the mark, on the scoresheet. Busy and impactful, making yards, clearing up any mess and showing a striker’s marksmanship when faithfully touching down early in the second-half to lift the mood but he was on the back foot. 6
A decent shift at the coal-face. There was so much riding on Bealham’s ability to deal with not one but two French front-rows, doing well enough in the scrummage but there was a sense of inevitability as France turned up the heat. 5.5
Daft, costly ill-discipline. McCarthy’s flagrant pull-back on Ramos led to a yellow card and allowed France into the game through Bielle-Biarrey try. It was a mad moment. Tore into every contact thereafter to make amends but too little too late. 4
An all-round presence in a losing cause. The Munster lock was in the thick of things, unfortunately so when clearing out Dupont at a ruck that caused the scrum-half’s injury. Did what he could to quell the French uprising but there was to be no denying their superiority. 6
The final throes. Even though he led the team out at the Aviva, O’Mahony’s resolute expression told you that he had his game face on. Took the strain well at the line-out during McCarthy’s sin-binning but could offer no more than his usual heart and soul. 5.5
A rearguard action to little effect. Van der Flier gave his all but had to make way for more power early in the second-half as Conan was brought into the fray to lend more physicality. 5
Never shirked the challenge but it was a sobering afternoon. Doris offered a physical presence, taking ball purposefully into contact, competing well at contact with his numerous turnovers but once France switched on, there was nothing he could do. Did also have an issue with his dealings with referee, Angus Gardner. 6
No real impact in coping with the French Bomb Squad. The call to arms was always likely to be made early in this fixture with the prospect of having to deal with France’s 7-1 bench but there was little that Ireland’s cast of replacements could do to stem the blue Gallic tide that swamped them in the second-half. Even the parade of retiring centurions prior to kick-off as they led the way could do nothing to inspire Ireland to monumental feats. It was a forlorn prospect as the French power-plays worked to such effect. There was to be a fairy-tale ending for Cian Healy who clattered through for a consolation try near the final whistle, Jack Conan doing likewise on his 50th cap. France had wholly switched off by this point. 5
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