Ireland lived up their billing as the world's top team at a wonderfully loud and lively Aviva Stadium.
Ciarán Kennedy A CONFESSION. BEFORE kick-off at Aviva Stadium this writer wondered if maybe, just maybe, today’s blockbuster Six Nations clash in Dublin wouldn’t live up to the hype.
Antoine Dupont, the prince of French rugby, repeatedly slipped through clusters of green shirts as if he’d dipped himself in baby oil before taking the field. He’s not all quick flicks and fast feet either – at one point in the second half it looked as though the scrum-half would carry Mack Hansen all the way back to France. A master at work.
Those two conductors were ably supported by a collection of wonderfully gifted athletes. It only took a matter of minutes for this contest to ignite, and it was immediately clear it was going to be a special occasion.Across that frantic opening period both sides delivered moments that showcased just why they currently occupy the top two positions in the world rankings.
By half-time Ireland had wrestled their way into a 22-16 lead thanks to a further try from Andrew Porter and a Sexton penalty. They will have felt it should have been more. They will have been disappointed to leave a couple of chances behind but the positives far, far outweighed the negatives.Nations Analysis Get Murray Kinsella’s exclusive analysis of Ireland’s Six Nations campaign this springWith Sexton forced off shortly after the break, Ross Byrne again provided quality cover off the bench and along with Munster’s Craig Casey, the two halfbacks did an excellent job of steering Ireland over their line.
It finally arrived as the game entered the closing 10 minutes, and it again highlighted another impressive quality of this Ireland team – riding tough passages of play before delivering a killer blow.