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La France impuissante face à l’Irlande
Retour raté pour la France sur la scène internationale avec une lourde défaite historique 17-38 face à l’Irlande en ouverture du Tournoi des Six Nations. Jamais encore l’Irlande, 2e équipe mondiale après occupé la première pendant 18 mois avant la Coupe du Monde de Rugby 2023, n’avait marqué autant de points face aux Français.
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Jusqu’à présent, le plus gros score de l’Irlande était de 32 points (32-19 le 11 février 2023), à trois points du plus grand écart entre les deux (24-0 pour l’Irlande le 4 mars 1914).
Surclassée dans tous les domaines, perturbée dans ses lancements de jeu, malmenée en touche, la France approximative a toujours couru après le score sans jamais s’en approcher.
Impuissante face au défi physique
La France a clairement eu du mal face au défi physique, stratégique et mental proposé par les Irlandais. Là où le sélectionneur Fabien Galthié s’attendait à plaquer 200 fois, il n’en était pas loin : 142 tentatives (87% réussis).
Au final, des Français sous pression, des Irlandais en pleine possession du ballon (75% en première période) et du terrain (64% en première période) et un score qui part vite en faveur du XV de Trèfle.
Synthèse du match 
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Coups de pied de pénalité
1
2
Essais
5
2
Transformations
5
0
Drops
0
93
Courses avec ballon
113
5
Franchissements
6
13
Turnovers perdus
7
2
Turnovers gagnés
4
Malgré une séquence prometteuse, l’aile droite française est stoppée par Keenan, entraînant une touche dans les 22 mètres irlandais. La France maintient une défense solide, mais Jack Crowley prend les points chaque fois qu’il peut.
Willemse voit rouge
Déjà en difficulté dans ses connexions, le XV de France va subir une perte importante de son deuxième-ligne Paul Willemse qui faisait là son grand retour après une blessure qui lui avait fait manquer son mondial. Pris pour plaquage dangereux à la 9e, il écope d’un jaune et dix minutes de suspension que maintient le bunker.
Avec l’avantage numérique, l’Irlande concrétise grâce à un essai de Gibson-Park (16e) lancé par Bundee Aki qui profite d’un intervalle. Un coup de pied trop long de Crowley offre une opportunité aux Français, mais Penaud ne parvient pas à concrétiser. Les Irlandais dominent en mêlée, mais une pression constante des Bleus les empêche de marquer un deuxième essai jusqu’à la demi-heure de jeu et la réalisation de Tadhg Beirne (30e).
Deux minutes plus tard, Willemse en remet une couche avec les mêmes effets, à la différence près que que cette fois le jaune se transforme automatiquement en rouge.
Tout donner
Malgré cette infériorité numérique, les Français résistent. Cependant, un essai de Penaud redonne de l’espoir aux Bleus, réduisant l’écart à 17-10 à la mi-temps.
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Les conseils de Galthié sont clairs : tout donner en seconde période. Ils n’ont, quelque part, plus rien à perdre. Les Français repartent vite mais ne trouvent pas de solutions. Ramos manque une pénalité et c’est Calvin Nash qui relance la machine verte en aplatissant dans le coin gauche (46e).
Les Français se mettent à la faute, tentent mais n’arrivent pas. Une nouvelle lueur d’espoir se profile quand le deuxième-ligne Paul Gabrillagues (remplacé juste après par Posolo Tuilagi) parvient à aplatir après un ballon porté derrière un maul écroulé par le capitaine irlandais Peter O’Mahony qui écope d’un carton jaune, ramenant les deux équipes à 14 partout.
A un essai transformé d’écart, les Bleus deviennent plus percutants, mais les séquences n’aboutissent à rien. Passée l’heure de jeu, l’Irlande décroche son 4e essai (Dan Sheehan) synonyme de bonus.
Malgré des efforts français, les Irlandais confirment leur supériorité avec un essai supplémentaire à deux minutes de la fin par le talonneur Ronan Kelleher (17-38) transformé par Jack Crowley.
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La France n’est jamais parvenue pas à renverser la situation, et le match se termine sur une défaite 17-38 au Vélodrome.
Comments on RugbyPass
Huge engine this guy and great to see him back ..The amount of clean outs he does at the ruck are ridiculous !!
3 Go to commentsThe level of desperation in this article is just embarrassing.
215 Go to commentsSome silly trolling in the comments.
8 Go to commentsEverywhere you turn some irish journo is advocating Ireland as the greatest, reasoning that the wc is a 4 year cycle event so, they say wc doesn’t matter it’s the rugby in between that should account for the accolade. If there was no wc then some substance could be gained, however in my opinion the moment that defined Ireland’s fate against the abs was 37 phases of repeated head bashing against a brick wall. If a change in strategy or a tinker with the game plan was executed then things could've been vastly different. And to point a finger the let down was in the hands of the number 10.
36 Go to commentsI have heard it asked if RA is essentially one of the part owners and I suppose therefor should be on the other side of these two parties. If they purchased the rebels and guaranteed them, and are responsible enough they incur Rebels penalties, where is this line drawn? Seems rough to have to pay a penalty for something were your involvement sees you on the side of the conned party, the creditors. If the Rebels directors themselves have given the club their money, 6mil worth right, why aren’t they also listed as sitting with RA and the Tax office? And the legal threat was either way, new Rebels or defunct, I can’t see how RA assume the threat was less likely enough to warrant comment about it in this article. Surely RA ignore that and only worry about whether they can defend it or not, which they have reported as being comfortable with. So in effect wouldn’t it be more accurate to say there is no further legal threat (or worry) in denying the deal. Unless the directors have reneged on that. > Returns of a Japanese team or even Argentinean side, the Jaguares, were said to be on the cards, as were the ideas of standing up brand new teams in Hawaii or even Los Angeles – crazy ideas that seemingly forgot the time zone issues often cited as a turn-off for viewers when the competition contained teams from South Africa. Those timezones are great for SR and are what will probably be needed to unlock its future (cant see it remaining without _atleast _help from Aus), day games here are night games on the West Coast of america, were potential viewers triple, win win. With one of the best and easiest ways to unlock that being to play games or a host a team there. Less good the further across Aus you get though. Jaguares wouldn’t be the same Jaguares, but I still would think it’s better having them than keeping the Rebels. The other options aren’t really realistic 25’ options, no. From reading this authors last article I think if the new board can get the investment they seem to be confident in, you keeping them simply for the amount of money they’ll be investing in the game. Then ditch them later if they’re not good enough without such a high budget. Use them to get Jaguares reintergration stronger, with more key players on board, and have success drive success.
15 Go to commentsYeah, and ours is waaay bigger than yours. Just as you's get a semi…oh hold on that never happens
36 Go to commentsLove watching
1 Go to commentsThe Melbourne Rebels lineout is a complete disaster so not surprisingly a kiwi coach of the Wallabies hires the worst lineout coach in the country and a foreigner to boot. No surprises whatsoever here…….
3 Go to commentsThank your for wasting 2 minutes of my life Daniel. There is a useful message in there somewhere but your delivery sucks.
7 Go to commentsBen Smith, you are cry baby
215 Go to commentsSux that homophobia is still a thing though. I wonder how many players who could have become legends never kept playing rugby because they felt unwelcome.
7 Go to commentsCrazy he’s only 28, feel like he’s been around forever - don’t mind the move, safe pair of hands and creates depth in a thin position for ABs. Hopefully aides Kemara’s growth also without thrusting too much responsibility on him
1 Go to commentsMen should show strength and be mean, but they should be able to show emotion to those close yo them in certain times, birth of your child, death of family, proud moment. This article is stupid
7 Go to commentsWhat a weak article…absolute drivel and clickbait, well done. Will stick to rugby365 thanks
7 Go to commentsHonest, discipline, humility… Priceless.
2 Go to commentsSo many excuses. No mention of the SA number 2 being taken out illegally in the 2nd minute. That act of foul play had a massive impact on the SA game. Face it, NZ play pretty dirty very regularly, and it’s only since 2016 they’ve been held to higher officiating standards via stricter officiating and TMO reviews. They deserved to have a man down. Sorry. Fix the yellow and red cards and NZ will win more RWCs. Plus, there WAS a knock on invalidating the one try, so it was NOT a try. Period. Here’s a Kleenex…
215 Go to commentsOverheard conversation between NZ and SA rugby fans everywhere: We’re the greatest! No! we’re the greatest! We’re the greatest! No we’re the greatest! Ireland are arrogant! True but they beat you! We’re the greatest! No! we’re the greatest! Etc. etc, etc.
36 Go to commentsTypical crap Aussie weather
11 Go to comments“If they’d have beaten England, I still feel we would have been talking ‘is this the best team ever,’ ‘is this the best team that’s ever played in the Six Nations'” he said. “I still think they’re not quite that good. I actually don’t think they’re that good.” So Trimble is saying he doesn’t think this is the best 6N team of all time. He is silent on if it is the best Irish team of all time. Can’t disagree with him. Just another misrepresentative clickbait headline from the guys at RP.
36 Go to commentsWow, do we really still have to listen to all the excuses and “unfairness” of it all. Even blaming the bounce of an egg shaped ball for the loss. But the article is about context, so what about the Springboks having to play the other 5 teams in the top 6 and still beating a comparatively rested AB team on a very empty tank.
215 Go to comments