Key events
65 min: Arby makes a mess of things in the backfield as she gets in a tangle from a long Irish kick. Between herself and Bourgeois the ball is spilled. Ireland will get the scrum inside French territory.
More good news as Moore’s yellow card will remain yellow.
64 min: Ireland are hanging in there. They force a knock-on in close contact and then get another turnover off a high contestable kick. After defending a scrum in their own half they’ve managed to push France back about 30 metres. Bourdon Sansus boxes but Flood returns the favour with a great touch finder. France take the line-out quickly and kick themselves. This is all about territory at the minute.
61 min: France are looking dangerous now. From the restart Fall Raclot steams over the gainline and connects with Menager on her shoulder. But the centre is running away from her support and is tackled by Flood. The irish fullback gets back to her feet to steal the ball. Brilliant work. The good work is undone, though, as Ireland spill the ball around halfway. Momentum is definitely with the French now. They have a scrum with options on both sides.
TRY! France 10-13 Ireland (Escudero, 60)
France get their try! Just relentless. Pick and go, pick and go, and eventually the rangy No. 8 muscled her way over. Bourgeois nails a tough conversion from the left tram. That is a sweetly taken two points that could be the difference.
Yellow! Ireland (Moore, 59)
All you want is consistency from the officials and this is a yello2. Just like the first half, when Bernadou was sin-binned, Moore has to go for a shoulder-to-head shot.
59 min: France win the line-out with Champon at the back. They set a maul that fractures. The ball is spilled but backwards. They get a penalty thanks to a high tackle that will need a second look. Moore definitely caught Vernier’s head with her shoulder. Surely a yellow?
57 min: Now France, for the first time in the game, have the ball in Ireland’s 22. They force an offside penalty. Queyroi pings it in the corner. France need to score if they’re to mount a comeback.
56 min: France go from their own 22 all the way to Ireland’s try line in a flash. First with Arby latching onto a kick ahead and then with Bourdon Sansus boxing to the corner. That was not the right call from the scrumhlaf who had options forming to her right. Also, the kick took a bobble and was easily fielded by Parsons who scampered across and dotted down.
54 min: Now a penalty on the floor for France, on the edge of their own 22 off Ireland’s ball. Menager with the steal. France need a spark though. They’re running out of road.
53 min: Another penalty against France. This came off an Ireland mistake as Jones missed her jumper at a line-out. France swarmed, looking to steal the lose ball, but there was a hand in the dark spaces of a ruck that didn’t belong there.
51 min: France are slick off the top of their line-out with Fall Raclot and then Vernier winning the gainline. But then France spill the ball so Ireland are back on the ball inside their own half. Now they have a penalty advantage after a French high shot.
49 min: Oh, Bourdon Sansus hoofs a clearing kick after the restart, but she’s adjudged to have brought it back into her own 22 before she did so. I’m not sure she did. But justice is served as Ireland give away a soft penalty from their own line-out on the edge of France’s 22. Sloppy.
Penalty! France 3-13 Ireland (Bourgeois, 48)
There’s three of them. With the wind, the French sharpshooter has no problem nudging this over.
47 min: Ireland won yet another scrum penalty, but their good work is undone as Wafer takes out a French player off the ball so the penalty is reversed. Bourgeois – totally anonymous so far – lines up a penalty shot.
45 min: Ireland eke another scrum penalty, that’s their fourth of the game. They refuse to kick, instead choosing to run it. But they can’t make ground down the left so we come back for the pen. They choose to pack down again. If it ain’t broke…
43 min: Wafer comes up witha great steal on the deck and Ireland have a penalty in their own half, just beyond the 22. They opt for a scrum. Clearly they don’t fancy kicking into the wind. They also have a player advantage in the tight five.
41 min: Bourdon Sansus gives Ireland a taste of their own medicine with two great kicks. The second, from behind the ruck, bounces out of touch around Ireland’s 22.
The players are back out.
The weather has eased. The wind has died down. Does that mean Ireland have enough? We’ll find out.
Half-time: France 0-13 Ireland
France hold out for 30 phases! Ireland kept hammering the line. They went wide left where Flood couldn’t gather a poor pass but they kept possession. They went back right and France kept thrashing carriers in green.
That half lasted an hour! Ireland had the wind and made 664 kicking metres compared to France’s 225.
France made 136 tackles to Ireland’s 57 while 80% of the game was played in France’s patch.
40+6 min: Ireland have been charging the line for 27 phases! Still France hold out.
40+2 min: France give away a penalty at the scrum. So Ireland have a free hit. They go wide left but can’t make it work so come back for the penalty five out on the right. Tap and go. Can they do it?
Yellow card! France (Feleu, 40+1)
France lose their skipper! Collapsing the maul. Should that have been a penalty try? No says the ref. But that’s another psychological boost for the Irish who have bossed this. They choose to scrum. One final chance for points on the board while the wind is at their backs.
40 min: A monster maul from a line-out has Ireland within touching distance of the French line!
39 min: Ireland will have a scrum feed after a French spill from the restart.
The BBC commentators are making a big deal about the wind. They’re saying that it’s blowing across the field, right in the faces of the French. There’s even a suggestion that a 13 point lead isn’t quite enough given the huge advantage Ireland have had.
Will be fascinating to see how it plays out in the second half.
Before then, Ireland will feed the scrum.
Penalty! France 0-13 Ireland (O’Brien, 38)
That is some kick under pressure. France still within two converted tries, but that makes things a little more comfortable for the Irish.
38 min: Ireland win a scrum penalty against French ball. O’Brien points to the poles. On a slight angle to the left of the poles. The wind is swirling. This won’t be easy.
37 min: Another long kick from O’Brien puts France deep in their own half. Rather than kick the Rrench look to run it out. First with Arby down the left wing and then with the forwards through the middle. They inch their way upfield, making a mere eight metres from seven phases. They get lucky as there’s an Irish knock-on in the tackle. I’m not sure the ball has been in Ireland’s 22 at all this half.
34 min: Wafer is down! She’s holding her knee. She looks in proper pain. Oh no, say it ain’t so! She’s back on her feet and will do her best to carry on but she went down with a yelp. Meanwhile France kept the ball for a spell before a soft knock-on by Queyroi. Bourdon Sansus is having a game (or at least a five minute spell) where she’s doing her best to ignite something. A bit erratic, but the French need a spark.
Wafer is OK it seems. She’ll pack down for an Irish scrum just inside their own half after that Queyroi knock-on.
32 min: An eventful two minutes ends with O’Brien kicking long and Queyroi dotting down for a 22 drop-out. France won a penalty which was sparkedwith a tap and go from Bourdon Sansus. But Jones stole a wonderful turnover before O’Brien launched it long. Better from France. Their scrum-half is taking them forward on her own right now.
30 min: Another knock on. This one from Ireland after a bit of kick tennis. I’ve been harsh on the players. Conditions are so tough, even though the rain has stopped and some sunshine is poking through. French scrum inside their own half. Sansus picks and darts down the blind on the right before grubbering ahead.
28 min: Tuite loses it in contact after a strong hit by Champon. France then look to spark a break down their right from inside their 22. Skipper Feleu leads the charge but they can’t make it work. The ball bobbles out of her grasp but they’ll come back for the scrum after the Tuite knock-on. They get a free kick, Sansus taps and hacks it upfield but Ireland secure the ball and come again from halfway.
