France 44 Ireland 5
France took apart a poor Irish side and in doing so secured the first Six Nations Grand Slam while also managing to record their biggest win against Ireland.
France took apart a poor Irish side and in doing so secured the first Six Nations Grand Slam while also managing to record their biggest win against Ireland.
Eddie O'Sullivan has talked all season and all this week about performance being what was sought. There was none to speak of in Paris from Ireland this afternoon.
Ireland had to defend for 80 per cent of the game as France held on to all the possession. They ran in five tries as Ireland's defence capitulated from early on. Ireland missed several first up tackles and France were able to score a couple of tries from near the halfway with ease.
In conditions which were perfect for running rugby, France produced fast and crisp handling to score three first-half tries from flanker Serge Betsen, fullback Nicolas Brusque and winger Aurelien Rougerie for a 28-5 halftime lead.
Ireland's only score came from the returning Keith Wood 11 minutes into the first half.
Betsen and Brusque grabbed their second tries after the break.
Flyhalf Gerald Merceron kicked four penalties and two conversions to steer the French to their seventh grand slam in the 119-year history of the championship. Replacement Francois Gelez added another late penalty.
The winning margin of 39 points was France's biggest victory over Ireland, surpassing a 45-10 triumph in 1996.
The French became the first team to win a grand slam since the tournament was expanded to six teams with the addition of Italy in 2000. France's previous slams came in 1968, 1977, 1981, 1987, 1997 and 1998.
"We are very happy because we have lost to Ireland in the last two seasons," France coach Bernard Laporte said.
"(But) We have to be humble," he added with next year's World Cup on the horizon.
Captain Fabien Galthie added: "We won't let this go to our heads at the moment. All I'm thinking about is happiness and having a good evening."
Eddie O'Sullivan has now seen his charges suffer record defeats in Twickenham and in Paris. The record win in Wales now seems like a lifetime ago.
Ireland will now finish third in the Championship.
Additional reporting by Reuters
Tries:Betson 2', 56', Brusque 27', 79', Rougerie 31'
Conversions:Merceron 3', 32'
Penalties:Merceron 14', 24', 38', 48', Gelez 78'
Drop Goals:
Tries:Wood 11'
Conversions:
Penalties:
Drop Goals:
France:Nicolas Brusque; Aurelien Rougerie, Tony Marsh, Damien Traille, David Bory; Gerald Merceron, Fabien Galthie (captain); Jean-Jacques Crenca, Raphael Ibanez, Pieter de Villiers, Fabien Pelous, Olivier Brouzet, Serge Betsen, Olivier Magne, Imanol Harinordoquy.
Replacements:Olivier Azam, Jean-Baptiste Poux, David Auradou, Remy Martin, Pierre Mignoni, Francois Gelez, Jimmy Marlu.
Ireland:Girvan Dempsey; Shane Horgan, Brian O'Driscoll, Rob Henderson, Denis Hickie; David Humphreys (captain), Peter Stringer; John Hayes, Keith Wood, Peter Clohessy; Malcolm O'Kelly, Gary Longwell; Simon Easterby, David Wallace, Anthony Foley.
Replacements:Shane Byrne, Paul Wallace, Paul O'Connell, Keith Gleeson, Guy Easterby, Ronan O'Gara, John Kelly, Tyrone Howe.
Referee:P O'Brien (New Zealand)