"Ireland were not so much beaten as outplayed by opponents who will be even more dangerous with a dry ball at their disposal. Never mind the argument about brief in-game adverts during ITV's coverage. Irish fans would probably have preferred a total 80-minute blackout or, failing that, an entire evening of cookery programming. Instead those back at home had to watch the visitors being repeatedly sliced and diced by apparently ravenous hosts. Talk about eating your greens."
"Had it been a drier evening it really could have been messy. As it was the spectacularly good Louis Bielle-Biarrey still helped himself to two sparkling tries and France's close-quarters passing, kicking game and creative elan were sometimes sublime. Ireland came in to this game with a raft of injuries but, despite a second-half rally, they can now add bruised pride to the list. It will also be food for thought for the rest of the field."
France dominated Ireland in the Six Nations opener at the Stade de France, showcasing dynamic attacking rugby and two sparkling tries from Louis Bielle-Biarrey. The hosts' close-quarters passing, kicking game and creative elan repeatedly breached Ireland's defence, especially during the opening 40 minutes. Ireland suffered a raft of injuries and looked poor early on, but a second-half rally and impact from the bench reduced the margin and mitigated some damage to pride. France eased off after securing a lead yet still displayed depth without several key forwards. The performance marks France as the side to beat at home and alarms rival teams.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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