Five takeaways from France v Ireland
Following a 35-27 victory for France over Ireland in their Six Nations game, here’s our five takeaways from the fixture at the Stade de France.
Champions in everything but name
When you try and remember back to February and March, it’s easy to forget just how good France have been in virtually every game they’ve played. One could argue that a moment of madness at Murrayfield cost them a Grand Slam and only points difference separates them and the champions, England.
But when you recall the moments of the tournament almost every single one features the French team and Saturday’s compelling performance underlined just what high quality, fast tempo handling rugby they’re playing. What’s warming is the style they’re committed to; an ambitious try scoring game, based upon pace, organisation and empowered decision making.
England will be delighted to take the title and rightly so, but if you were awarding scores based on artistic merit, France would be way ahead of any of the other five teams on view.
To many, they’re champions of 2020 in everything but name.
Transitional Ireland
It takes a very, very good team to bung 35 points on any recent Irish side and despite the positives of Robbie Henshaw’s solo work and some powerful runs from Jacob Stockdale, Ireland really struggled to break down the French gainline, led again by the massive presences of Charles Ollivon, Greg Alldritt and Bernard le Roux, of whom the former two put in over 20 menacing hits apiece.
Conor Murray’s return to form was a bonus, however, silencing the critics of his recent performances with a mighty display of accurate passing and pinpoint kicking, but there will be concerns that Johnny Sexton is way off the pace at this level as he approaches his 36th year.
Ireland have to accept they’re in a transitional phase at this moment; the green shoots of talent are there, with a couple of exceptional young back-rowers adding power to their breakdown work, but Andy Farrell will need to balance the difficult equation of loyalty to some incredible older performers with the need to develop their successors.
French Spine
When most pundits pick their annual ‘Team of the Six Nations’ the simple question they need ask themselves is who from other nations would currently get in this French team? The answer is not very many.
At the core is an incredible spine of world class performers from seven to thirteen (admittedly, Gael Fickou played on the wing this weekend, but is seen by most as a centre) and their entire back-row and midfield has set the standards for others to follow this season.
The heartbeat, of course, is the electric half-back pairing of Romain Ntamack and Antoine Dupont. They’re offering so much threat to opposition defences, so much variety in their point of attack, that space elsewhere is wide open for the powerful running of their centres and Alldritt.
They’re perhaps a couple of props short of the very best standard, but right now, that spine of excellence in the middle of their team is setting the standards for Northern Hemisphere rugby.
Never change, French rugby….#GuinnessSixNations pic.twitter.com/G74vgSrtXf
— Guinness Men's Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) November 1, 2020
Irish Lions
One player that really put his hand up and competed with the French excellence was number eight CJ Stander. He matched his formidable opponent Alldritt in every single facet of the game and offered Ireland a lot of go forward in his 14 carries that may well have resulted in static ball without his power in making hard yards.
He was also magnificent in jackal and in defence, winning three turnovers and guarding the close exchanges with typical aggression. He, James Ryan, Jacob Stockdale and Robbie Henshaw were comfortably the best of the Irish on display and they look now to have booked their seats on the plane to South Africa next summer.
Communication
The last word here goes to the officials. The final game of the weekend was light years ahead of the two that proceeded it in terms of pace and ambition, despite the torrential rain that engulfed the stadium for the entire match. Wayne Barnes and his team were magnificent in decision, communication and outcome.
It may be a small detail, but communication is the key here; Barnes’ French is good enough to assist the home players in understanding what he wants and his detail in explaining the picture he wanted produced another fine outcome. Factor in his exemplary use of technology, the teamwork and use of decision-making protocols in pressured real time situations and you’ll understand just one of the reasons why this game was the better of the three spectacles on view. He was, once again, outstanding.