Ireland A 23 France A 55
Ireland U-21 13 France U-21 33
Ireland A failed to follow on from their comprehensive victory over Italy by going down 58-23 to a determined French side at Ravenhill tonight.
The Irish never recovered from a dreadful start, in which they went 26-3 down after 34 minutes, and were punished for a lack of discipline by fly-half Jean Baptiste Elissalde, who kicked four long-range penalties before half-time.
Elissalde also kicked all four conversions and a fifth penalty in a perfect display of marksmanship that earned him a 23-point haul.
Ireland always had their work cut out against lively scrum-half Pierre Mignoni, the French captain and man of the match, who set up first half tries for hooker Benoit August and full-back Pepito Elhorga with searing breaks from the halfway line.
Ireland briefly got back in the game just before half-time when impressive number eight Victor Costello picked up from the base of a scrum close in and forced his way over for a try.
Staunton kicked the conversion, to add to an early penalty, to cut the score to 26-10 at half-time and he added two more penalties in the second half.
But the sin-binning of flanker Tony McWhirter for a professional foul on 51 minutes rocked Ireland back further and France sealed their win with further tries from centre Sebastien Bonetti and winger Aurelien Rougerie.
Ireland grabbed a second try through winger Anthony Horgan, his fourth in two games, and Paul Burke added the conversion but Elhorga and Bonetti both claimed their second tries in injury time as France finished in total control.
There was further disappointment for Irish rugby this afternoon when the U-21's were defeated 33-13 by their French counterparts.