France player ratings: Antoine Dupont shines in defeat to Ireland

Jared Wright
France fell to a 32-19 defeat to Ireland, their first loss since July 2022. Here is how we rated the players in their Six Nations defeat. Antoine Dupont

France fell to a 32-19 loss to Ireland in Dublin on Saturday, their first defeat since July 2022. Here is how we rated their players in the Six Nations clash.

15 Thomas Ramos: He had a few moments of madness in his own 22, but overall, it was a solid game from the 27-year-old, scoring 14 points, including a drop goal. 6

14 Damian Penaud: Continues to show that he is one of the best in the business. He set up and scored the first try superbly and regularly beat defenders with ease. 8

Delight for Dumortier

13 Gael Fickou: Led France‘s defence well and played his part in denying Ireland a try shortly before half-time. He was heavily involved on attack and spread the ball well, allowing Ethan Dumortier and Penaud to thrive. Battled on with an injury in the latter stages but still a strong game. 6

12 Yoram Moefana: A quiet game from the inside centre who was less impactful on attack than he has been in the last 12 months. Sound on defence. 5

11 Ethan Dumortier: Busy game from the winger in his second Test match as he impressed with ball in hand in particular. He gained over 70 metres in the match and scooted past nine defenders. 6

10 Romain Ntamack: An improved performance from what we saw against Italy last week; the playmaker kicked well out of hand and linked up well with Antoine Dupont at times. He was another player who defended well throughout the match. 6

Magnificent Dupont

9 Antoine Dupont: The French captain was incredible in a losing effort. His only notable error was a kick-through in the latter stages after making a line break, as a pass would have been far more straightforward. However, his kicking, passing and all-round games was fantastic, as was his mind-blowing try-saving tackle on Mack Hansen. 9

8 Gregory Alldritt: Man of the match in this fixture last year, but Alldritt couldn’t replicate that performance. He struggled to get over the advantage line with his carries, had little success over the ball but tackled strongly. 5

Big on defence

7 Charles Ollivon: A titanic effort on defence from the former captain, who racked up over 20 tackles. He was brilliant at the breakdown, too and made a few bulking carries – an excellent performance in defeat. 7

6 Anthony Jelonch: An immensely busy game from the flanker who played a crucial role in France’s opening try with a great offload to send Penaud away. Tireless in all facets of the game. 8

5 Paul Willemse: An unusually quiet game from the abrasive second-rower. He had no impact on attack and was forced to make several tackles, and he was subbed off in the pitch in the 46th minute. 5

4 Thibaud Flament: He did not stop the entire game, topping the tackle count for Les Bleus, making 28 in total. He was one of the better French forwards with the ball in hand. 7

Front-row woes

3 Uini Atonio: A forgettable performance from the tighthead prop who cost his side when he was sent to the sin bin for a high tackle on Rob Herring. He was also caught out for the opening try from Hugo Keenan. He was good enough in the scrums. 4

2 Julien Marchand: Rarely has a bad game for France, and this was not one of them as he put in a massive defensive shift making 23 in total, and went deep into the match, playing 73 minutes. 7

1 Cyril Baille: He did brilliantly well to hold up Andrew Porter in the early stages along with Dupont but that was a highlight in a relatively poor performance. He was strong in the scrums but looked a step off the pace in open play on multiple occasions. 4 

Replacements: The likes of Romain Taofifenua and Sekou Macalou made a positive impact on the match, but France’s bench’s impact was outdone by Ireland’s reserves. Matthieu Jalibert’s missed tackle on Garry Ringrose put the game to bed for the French. 

READ MORE: Six Nations: Ruthless Ireland claim bonus-point victory over France to end Les Bleus’ winning streak

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