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Ireland player ratings vs France | 2025 Six Nations
By Ian Cameron at Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Ireland player ratings: Ireland’s Six Nations Grand Slam hopes have well and truly been Le Crunched by France, who were deserved 42-27 winners at the Aviva Stadium in their top of the table clash in Dublin.
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While the first forty minutes was a touch and go affair between two well-matched sides, a second-half surge from Fabien Galthie’s side opened up an unassailable lead that Ireland had no realistic chance of reeling in.
We rate the Ireland players:
1. Andrew Porter – 6
Worked hard in the tight exchanges and held up the scrum decently against mass monster Uini Atonio. A little quieter in the loose than normal.
2. Dan Sheehan – 8
Accurate at the lineout and lively with ball in hand. His carries sparked some Irish momentum and his try to put Ireland in front just after half-time was the type of main character moment we’ve come to expect from Sheehan.
3. Finlay Bealham – 6
Put himself about in open play, but Jean-Baptiste Gros forced him into survival mode on more than one occasion. Stayed in the fight.
4. Joe McCarthy – 5
Disrupted a few opposition mauls and did his job in the engine room with minimal fuss. However, a brainrotting and needless tug on the Thomas Ramos – that earned him a yellow card and saw France score off the very next play – was what stood out.
5. Tadhg Beirne – 8
Added his trademark versatility in the loose, pilfered ball at crucial moments, and was a go to lineout option for Ireland. Another top outing. Not at fault here.
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6. Peter O’Mahony – 5
The mind is willing but the body was struggling to keep up. Fell off Antoine Dupont for France’s first try and looked a yard or two off the pace throughout, although there was no lack of industry, grit or heart from the Munster veteran.
7. Josh van der Flier – 6
Led Ireland’s defensive effort and constantly showed up in support. Showed the resourcefulness of a world-traveling survivalist at the breakdown, but lacked his normal impact.
8. Caelan Doris – 6.5
Crossed the line early only to be held up, but was a nuisance to the French, whether on the ball or sniffing out a turnover at the breakdown. Faded as the French got up a head of steam in the second half.
9. Jamison Gibson-Park – 7
Was shaded in his one-on-one with Dupont, but that’s not to say he had a bad game. His box-kicking was pretty sharp and he directed traffic well overall, while playing the role of Mr. Fixit for Ireland on more than one occasion.
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10. Sam Prendergast – 4.5
Once again mixed the sublime with the abject. Under severe pressure from the French back row, who often had his number, not least when getting caught in two minds and driven back five metres. Missed a kick in front of the post only to boot over a 50 metre plus effort just before halftime. Too many times chose the high risk option when the percentage play was the right call. You have to admire his willingness to play the ball, but it needs to be tempered with a modicum of restraint. Getting intercepted late on for France’s last try summed up a frustrating afternoon for the rookie.
11. Calvin Nash – 6.5
A late call-up for James Lowe, Nash used his pace effectively when he got on the ball. Did his best to inject himself into open play and was one of Ireland’s sharper edges.
12. Bundee Aki – 5
Took an accidental boot to the face early but recovered well. Had precious little opportunity in the first half to make an impact on the French defensive line, spending the most part of his afternoon tackling blue jerseys.
13. Robbie Henshaw – 6.5
Provided a brooding defensive presence, showing up when it mattered to save Ireland’s bacon on occasion. Might have hoped for more ball, but made his moments count.
14. Jamie Osborne – 6
Some timely hits and a booming boot but had some wobbly moments under the high-ball. Was happy to roll the dice in attack, causing chaos on the French flanks, where defenders struggled to read his attacking intent. Against that, struggled to match the sheer athleticism of Louis Bielle-Biarrey.
15. Hugo Keenan – 8
A bright spark for Ireland, taking the ball to the line on multiple occasions in the opening exchanges. Very nearly coughed up 5-points only to be saved by the TMO who spotted the sneaky right hand of Antoine Dupont in the tackle, but this was a real return to form for Keenan, albeit in a losing effort.
Replacements
16. Rob Herring – NA
Had limited opportunity to make a dent, having only entered the fray at 68 minutes.
17. Cian Healy – 8
Hard to rate given Simon Easterby once again didn’t use him until the final 12 minutes but it was great to see Ireland’s most capped player burrow over, even in the context of a heavy loss, on his final Test game at the Aviva.
18. Thomas Clarkson – 6
Made the most of his cameo. Didn’t stand out, but also didn’t hurt Ireland’s failing cause as the game petered out.
19. James Ryan – 6
Tried to provide a physical boost in the final quarter, but couldn’t get much change off the French.
20. Jack Conan – 6.5
Has had a resurgence this Six Nations, but there was only so much he could do here. His late try put a bit of respect on the scoreboard.
21. Ryan Baird – 5
Contributed a couple of key tackles but wasn’t able to turn the tide as the Les Bleus turned up the heat.
22. Conor Murray – NA
Maybe not the man to bring with Ireland chasing the game with 12 minutes to go. Sad to see a remarkable Ireland career capped off in his last home game in such unedifying fashion.
23. Jack Crowley – 5
Slotted in at 12 for Aki with Ireland very much on the back foot. Unable to offer much in the circumstances.
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Every sitting British PM and ruling party during apartheid supported it.
Fun fact, did you know Thatcher supported the apartheid government. Reagan aswell.
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Agree to the tonne. The difference with the real life one’s is their sense of humour! They also don’t think that your not allowed to beat their team either.
It’s pretty easy to spot the one’s that just got on the wagon in 2019! Some of the bandits on here act like you’re stealing their pension fund when you critique their team. Great gas though.
They love to dish it out but can’t seem to hack it back.
Strength and honour, lad!
Haha, totally agree man. Indeed, the SA fans I’ve met at matches over the years have generally been sound and far more laid back. I suspect alot of their ‘fans’ on here don’t attend alot games and are just armchair rim jobs. They are very very thin skinned, not interested in subjectively analysing or talking about games, easy to wind up and humour is definitely not their thing. As we know, the online platform gives cowards and any tool with an agenda a voice or in this case many vacuous echo chambers.
Well that certainly explains the mom issues…
Please apologize to me for being a poes.
That’s very gracious of you to say. Or I could just validate my own humour with the ‘lol’ references? Like a real healthy adult? This is all so very lame.
I sense I’ve knocked the stuffing out of you. Your chat is now so winded.
If you’re big enough to ask for an apology, I’m big enough to offer it. Just ask, bud.
You are hilarious.
You come off as a public transport kind of guy. Who works as a data capturer and has his very own desktop lol at work.
Well obviously you’re not supposed to “come across” an open wound. Even with consent. That’s obscene to suggest. Really that has no place on a rugby forum, like much of your chat.
Why would you assume that I get the bus? Indeed, it must be awkward carrying a computer tower, monitor and keyboard.
Well I certainly haven’t come across any that look like open wounds. Nor did I stare at my mums and make a mental image while she died giving birth to me.
For some reason if I type v agina, my comment gets blocked. You seem to have free reign. Maybe you’re the bot?
Does your work allow you to take your desktop home with you? How do you use it on the bus ride home? It must be awkward carrying a computer tower, monitor and keyboard around.
You didn’t get the trip down the lady lane, then? The happy highway?
You’ve misspelled there. I only point it out because you’re so happy to rinse the spelling and grammatical errors of others.
I’ve never seen any bok ones to be honest.
C-Section.
The v aginas you have seen look like open wounds?
Didn’t you squeeze past it on the way out? Get a glance?
They mostly look like an open wound. I’ve seen a fair amount of them.
“Thanks for the sob story. Nobody cares. We’re here for the rugby.”
My mother died quite tragically when I was very young. So I am not sure what her v agina looked like. Chances of tripping on it would also be zero.
Bless her soul in Heaven.
My mother died tragically when I was young. So I’m not sure what her vagina looked like.
Not in SA. That was just racist land ownership policies.
Being that I’m Mr “literature” and all…
The opening conjunction in your sentence - And - removes the need for famines to be spelt with a capital F.
No apology required. It happens.
Be more chance of tripping on your mother’s vagina. It’s like a wizards sleeve.
And Famines.
It takes a while for things to sink in with you. You’re not very “literature”.
Nice chatting pops. Time to give that old desktop a rest. Don’t trip on the mouse cable on your way to bed!
Yep. RUGBY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tell me about it!
Don’t we all!
It became obvious the 6th time you mentioned it…
Reading and writing aren’t always conflated. It was mathematics in which I excelled.
Don’t be graceless, hero. Your lot have plenty to thank those nasty Brits for!!!!!!!!!
Oh, I thought you didn’t know what “a Turlough” was?
Pfft.
Okay Mr. “computer literature”.
You must have got that first edition, first world education handed to you by the Brits. Ability to read and write, optional.
I could have made a snide comment about your mother when I heard “the gift that keeps on giving” but I wouldn’t reduce myself to your level.
Clearly you’re very busy in work too? Arguing with digital strangers who you insist are other digital strangers in disguise. That’s utterly mental.
It’s not my logic. It’s the law of mathematics. Principles that are universally held as truths.
Your third world education doesn’t need to be a barrier. You can improve yourself with education and will.
Or just drift along as you are on rugby forums, talking very little about rugby. Just expressing faux outrage when your own words are slammed back at you.
Go well
Enthusiastic I would suspect?
How many hours ahead are you? I’ll be leaving in a hour, like.
I’m not a Turlough or the Turlough. Your the only one that says this and I’ve actually no idea what it even means.
You fold too easy by the way. You get too aggressive, too quick.
“I’m not even computer literature…”
You’re a gift that keeps on giving.
It’s bedtime pops.
If I apply your logic, Ireland will never crack 50%
Oh dear. I’m not even computer literature and yet it’s easy to figure out how these are different accounts. You utter goon.
Okay Turlough.
How were the crowds this weekend?
We got out of the last one with a scalping of the boks. That big 7-1 split. Minced them.
Best night of my life. Crowd was next level!!!!
Okay Turlough.
I’m not Turlough.
That stupid eh?
Listen Turlough, this has been fun. Thanks for the comic relief.
I think it’s cute how you resurrect yourself into more and more annoying versions of yourself. It’s not the first time you’ve come back as “Teddy”. After Turlough embarrassed himself. And then again as Redwarriors.
Teddy indeed.
Alarmingly, you’ve given it serious thought. Freudian.
Balls can be a trigging word for you I see.
“Precisely how fuc ken stupid are you?”
Comparatively speaking, I’m clever. That’s probably not even a back handed complement on this forum.
I always like my own comments. To out-fox those cheeky bots and algorithms
Yes, if they’re handing out participation awards. Which is all you’ve ever got out of a World Cup.
Tell us about the balance sheet Turlough. Give us a sense of where you get your facts from.
Yes. You probably don’t have balls.
I’m just not sure whether you were chemically or physically neutered.
She was a former British PM and a massive supporter of apartheid so don’t pretend you don’t have her in your wank bank.
Why would it be hilarious to use a desktop at work?
Do you always like your own comments?
Precisely how fuc ken stupid are you?
And yet, you seemed to know exactly what I meant…
Forgive me, English is not my first language. I meant Naturalized as in holding dual citizenship.
Thought you might relate. Who’s Thatcher?
I’m sure you do use a “desktop” at “work”. Hilarious. What are you? A data capturer, grandpa?
“Gotcha”.
Classic…
“on the dole”??? I’m the old timer? That’s from Thatcher’s Britain.
I’m gainfully employed and use my desk top at work. Gotcha!!!!!
Called them then?
“That’s so specific it’s worrying.
The comments section of a rugby website is a weird place to cry out for help.”
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Particularly when you’re at home all day and on the dole. Must be a splendid way to kill time.
Define “ol’ timer”?
Why would I quit the internet? There’s never been a better time to have it.
No. Just yours. Remember, you’ve neutered all the men in Ireland. She has needs.
So rugby reminds you of sexual intimacy and mothers…
Interesting
Yup. I was replying to your rugby comment about Lambie.
A draft dodger? Listen ol’ timer. Maybe quit the internet.
Classy. Still just “here for the rugby”?
You seem to have the backbone and character of a draft dodger. You’d certainly appreciate the ability to fold.
That’s fair and sensible. Got no problem with that.
Your mum gets folded in half regularly. Recovers fine. Must be good genes.
48%
48%
Yup the way the Nh and Sh ref the game is different and that causes huge frustration. One might say play on and one gives a red but the sanction afterward should be the same for all players. All the mittigation stuff should be cut and consistent bans given regardless of intent.
And yet you’ve no response for any of it.
“Lol”! Christ, lad!!! Are you 10? Wait until you discover sarcasm…
Yes, I’m getting paid to do this essentially. I prefer to keep it on the clock and during office hours.
Good luck to your boys, too. We’ll see them in Dublin for their yearly beating.
A lot in the NH has not been consistent. But it’s usually SH refs blowing those games.
For years Nz got away with light punishment. Look at Ntamack and Ringrose. The officials making those desisions are the problem. Farrell also for years has gotten away with foul play.
It’s also the reason the laws changed around competing in the air.
Le Roux got away with doing the same in the 3rd test. He got a yellow and not a red.
Lol. What an over response. You must have a lot of time on your hands.
Turlough the second.
48% is 48%
Good luck to you. Sad.
Headknock from a Butt first charge down.
Yeah, Lambie got folded in two. He didn’t ever really recover from that.
Stander was already next level. Check the coach that told him that. Colbe was also told he is too small. Same with Brussouw. Nothing to do with doping and more with coaches fixated on size. The only gripe I have with Stander is that he ended Lambie’s career
I get it. Your rage in getting owned by a rugby nation with an inferior win ratio. It’s all in the history though. When 10% of a country steals the resources and land of the other 90%, they will be deeply insecure when things are then taken from them.
When you take their #1 ranking! When you roll them over at a RWC in front of a global audience! Then roll them again in their own backyard a few games after they’ve been crowned RWC champs!
Wins and draws would be positive outcomes so it’s closer to 48% + 5% (53%) against our 47% loss record. All but one of our recent slayings of the boks occurred during their WADA non compliance. We’d the beating of them even then, doped up.
Last time out in Durban they were of course WADA compliant and off the juice. Our B team dismantled them.
Lots of luck.
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Rob Hearing is the only SA born player in the Irish test squad. His age profile, the fact that he’s 5th choice hooker and the changed residency rules suggest he may be the last.
CJ Stander is the example you should be using. He was exceptional with brilliant raw ability. He was eaten up and spat out by the bok system. An U19 captain who was told (at 6’1” and 112 kg) that he was too small to be flank and could only be a hooker.
I assume that was code for “are you prepared to get bigger, wink wink” and they were not obviously WADA compliant at that point.
CJ stayed a clean athlete and joined Munster. His career was a joy to watch. Brilliant player, taken to the next level by the Irish system.
You know exactly what I mean with his name is world cup and yes Ireland does scout Sa schoolboy rugby just like the rest of the North. The problem is that most schoolboys want to play for a great team one day and not just a good one. As to doping that happens in all sports just go ask Armstrong and Jones. Doping should be a lifetime ban imho. What does it say to a young rugby player to see someone from another country playing in the national team?
And there’s the win - ironically!
An impoverished saffa troll repeating himself.
Go easy, hero
??? Jean Kleyn’s name isn’t ‘World Cup’?????
I mean you’ve torpedoed your own question AND answer. His name is, Jean Kleyn.
I think it’s around the doping procedures. Probably the concern would be how many boks may struggle in a NH test team with more robust testing. They’ve turned a corner, finally but there is still the recent shameful history of doping. I think that’s why we don’t go for them at test level.
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