Ireland and Jonathan Sexton bloodied but unbowed by France in Six Nations

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/feb/14/ireland-france-six-nations-match-report

Version 0 of 1.

France were back in their familiar coloured shirts in Dublin and it was back to blue for Philippe Saint-André who has not tasted victory as a coach in four encounters with the Six Nations champions. These sides meet in the World Cup in autumn and it may not be wise to invest too many euros on France on this evidence.

Ireland have won nine games in a row and their meeting with England here in a fortnight’s time looks tasty. Four of their 2013 Lions returned to the squad on Saturday with one of them, Jamie Heaslip, winning his 70th cap. For an hour Heaslip was back to his commanding best in the back row alongside another of the returning quartet Seán O’Brien.

All eyes, though, were on Johnny Sexton and the fly-half, out these past three months following four bouts of concussion, marked his return with 15 points and looked no worse for his enforced break. There was a snap about his play and his tactical kicking was mostly spot-on. Sexton had to leave the field temporarily after the break, but only because blood was streaming from a head wound and Ireland’s head coach, Joe Schmidt, said the fly-half had concussion tests when he was off the pitch.

Related: Jonathan Sexton put head where it hurts for Ireland against heavyweight France | Eddie Butler

Schmidt said: “Johnny needed a few stitches but the doctor confirmed he was his old lucid self. He was just glad to be back in the saddle. Johnny is a super competitor and he was part of an important defensive effort out there.”

Concussion is a sensitive topic in the competition and for Saint-André the news from this bruising encounter was not so bright. He said his full-back Scott Spedding had suffered concussion and Spedding will be a doubt for France’s next game against Wales. Wesley Fofana also left the field but tests discovered no concussion.

The match was a contrast to the loose free-flowing stuff on display at Twickenham earlier in the afternoon, but Ireland will not worry about that. Their pack turned over the Springboks here in the autumn and they were more than a match for the French forwards. France were very ordinary and Saint-André will find no consolation in the fact his side scored the only try. Perhaps France should go back to wearing those red shirts every game.

The moment all Ireland feared came early when France launched their enormous centre Mathieu Bastareaud at Sexton and the shoulder of the Toulon man rocked back Sexton’s head. It was such a collision with Bastareaud in Paris last spring that began Sexton’s problems. Sexton, though, soon settled into his game, landing a first penalty from wide on the left in a cathedral hush.

Camille Lopez and Sexton swapped penalties, but there was a blow for France when their other centre Fofana became hors de combat after an early collision. The concussion protocols completed, Fofana returned to the fray before one of Sexton’s Racing team-mates Teddy Thomas limped off the field for good.

Sexton and Lopez continued to trade penalties and Ireland began to dominate the game but after the break the heads of Sexton and Bastareaud clattered together again and both men had to leave the field, blood streaming from their heads. The Frenchman offered his hand, as if to apologise. Sexton did not take it. Ian Madigan replaced Sexton and promptly stretched Ireland’s lead with another penalty before the patched-up pair returned to the field.

Related: England 47-17 Italy | Six Nations match report

France changed their front row and on rolled France’s exceedingly large prop Uini Atonio, all 336lb of him. Not for nothing is the New Zealand-born Atonio, who plays for La Rochelle known locally as le monstre rochelais. Ireland were winning the muscular battle of the packs and when Pascal Papé cut up rough he was shown a yellow card for a knee in Heaslip’s back.

Tries, though, were in short supply. Ireland had the best chance when the seven-man French pack were driven backwards but Sexton’s pass hit his centre Jared Payne in the face with the try line at his mercy. There was some respite for France when they drove Ireland backwards at a scrum on the half-way line and Rory Best then followed Papé to the sin-bin. Lopez fluffed a penalty chance and from his seat high in the stand Saint-André looked thunderstruck.

France scored their first try of the tournament when, from a ruck, they moved the ball to the left and one of their replacements, the Toulon lock Romain Taofifénua, plunged over the line.

Lopez, though, missed the conversion and Ireland clung on for victory. There was a huge roar when Sexton was named man of the match.

Ireland Kearney; Bowe, Payne, Henshaw, Zebo; Sexton, Murray; McGrath (Healy 62), Best (Cronin 73), Ross (Moore 62), Toner (Henderson 74), O’Connell (capt), O’Mahony, O’Brien, Heaslip (Murphy 60)

Sin-bin Best, 61

Pens Sexton 5, Madigan

France Spedding (Talès 53); Huget, Bastareaud, Fofana, Thomas (Lamerat, 32); Lopez, Kockott (Parra 65); Ben Arous (Atonio 50), Guirado (Kayser 50), Slimani (Debaty 50), Papé (Taofifénua 64), Maestri, Dusautoir (capt), Le Roux, Chouly (Goujon 73)

Sin-bin Papé 53

Try Taofifénua Pens Lopez 2

Referee Wayne Barnes (Eng)