'It's the game, unfortunately,' Easterby hits back at Galthie after Dupont injury in Dublin

The France boss criticised Irish players for their role in the incident which sidelined the talismanic scrum half.

TRIP TO ITALY: Interim Head Coach Simon Easterby is preparing his side for Rome. Pic: INPHO/Ben Brady

Ireland interim boss Simon Easterby has hit back at France for creating a storm of uninformed criticism of his players following their comments about Tadhg Beirne and Andrew Porter’s part in Antoine Dupont’s serious knee injury in Dublin last Saturday.

Talismanic captain and scrum-half Dupont has been ruled out for months after rupturing cruciate ligaments after being trapped under a clearout by Beirne during the Ireland v France Guinness Six Nations clash at Aviva Stadium. Porter had latched onto Beirne to propel his fellow forward through the clearout, with referee Angus Gardner declaring it a rugby incident and explaining to French stand-in skipper Gregory Alldritt that Dupont’s injury had been an unfortunate accident.