France player ratings v Ireland: ‘Magic’ Louis Bielle-Biarrey ‘playing a different game’ but bench nearly squander ‘unloseable position’
Louis Bielle-Biarrey (left) and Mickael Guillard (right) were among the top performers for France against Ireland
Following France’s 36-14 win over Ireland at the Stade de France, here is how we scored Fabien Galthie’s side in the Six Nations opener.
France player ratings v Ireland
15 Thomas Ramos: Classy effort from the silky full-back. No matter what he turned his hand to – kicking, volleying, carrying or playmaking – he always seemed to make something happen for his side. Went well off the tee, too, slotting five kicks at goal. 8
14 Theo Attissogbe: Always looked to make the positive choice, but couldn’t quite get the break his efforts deserved. Ended on a high note with a nice score. 6
13 Nicolas Depoortere: Has been in great touch ahead of the Championship, and carried that form over brilliantly tonight. Trucked superbly well ball-in-hand and consistently got his side over the gainline as a result. 7
12 Yoram Moefana: Potentially not as impactful as his centre partner, but still had a decent effect on proceedings. Carried well when called upon and often found himself as that link player in attack. 6
11 Louis Bielle-Biarrey: Just makes Test rugby look like a chuck around with mates in the park, proving once again he’s playing a different game to everyone else. Seems to produce something magic with every touch of the ball, as demonstrated by his fine solo try in just his second effort, and consistently made life difficult for the Irish defence with 94 metres made. 9
10 Matthieu Jalibert: He’s had a bumpy ride in the France side, but this felt like his vindication. Just found himself involved in everything good for them tonight, adding genuine creativity to their attack that unpicked the Irish defence. 8
9 Antoine Dupont (c): Some truly delicious flashes in his comeback game for Les Bleus. Will only be better for the lengthy stint, too, which is a scary thought. 7
Back-row
8 Anthony Jelonch: Brought heaps of physicality to proceedings, in a performance that will please Fabien Galthie. Led from the front in defence with a game-high tally of 16 tackles, and got stuck into the breakdown battle to good effect. 7
7 Oscar Jegou: Will be extremely sore tomorrow morning, after a barnstorming effort in the tight. Set the tone for his side’s gritty and aggressive defensive efforts, and was always willing to take on a big carry as well. 7
6 François Cros: Not quite as prominent as usual, but still had a decent performance. Was rock solid in the lineout, and made his tackles when needed. 7
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Tight five
5 Mickael Guillard: Had big boots to fill after leapfrogging Emmanuel Meafou into the starting group, but lived up to the billing. Always looked to get his hands on the ball and made plenty of metres off the back of it, and backed that up with some really defensive efforts and breakdown work. Couldn’t really ask for much more from the Lyon ace. 8
4 Charles Ollivon: Went about his business quietly, but still had a big impact on the game. Always found himself in the thick of the action in the tight, throwing his body into virtually every breakdown as a result, and consistently messed up Ireland’s ability to play with clean ball. His try was also the epitome of his clever support lines in attack as well. 7
3 Dorian Aldegheri: Nailed the fundamentals tonight. Scrummed pretty well for the most part and went about his business well in the loose. 6
2 Julien Marchand: A typically solid shift from the Toulouse hooker. Gave his side a good platform from the lineout, contributed to a good scrum and contributed some hefty carries. 7
1 Jean-Baptiste Gros: Like his prop colleague, will be pretty pleased with his efforts tonight. Had the better of the scrum battle and got involved around the park. 7
Replacements: The France bench was a major factor in their Six Nations title last year, but tonight it nearly lost them the unlosable position as the Irish gained the ascendancy. It just seemed like momentum started to shift towards the visitors, be it around the park or even with ill-discipline and errors. When they clicked late in the day, they showed serious quality, but that will only frustrate Galthie further all things considered. 5
READ MORE: France begin Six Nations title defence in style as first-half masterclass rocks crestfallen Ireland