Player Ratings: France

OPINION: What a reputation-enhancing win for Fabien Galthie’s side, this 42-27 bonus-earning performance catapulting them to the top of the table and leaving them poised to win the Six Nations title when they host Scotland in Paris next Saturday.

Despite losing their inspirational talisman Antoine Dupont to a potential ACL injury after just 29 minutes, they simply blew Ireland away with a bench-assisted, second-half power surge in a contest that unfolded very differently from the spring classic that took place in Dublin two years ago.

That terrifically exhausting 2023 encounter was illuminated by a frantic opening half score-fest, the Irish leading 22-16 at the break before closing out their 32-19 victory with a less energetic second period.

Here, the scores were at a premium in an absorbingly alternative first half, the French leading 8-6 after hitting back from an intriguing defensive stand in which the Irish dominated the possession and territory percentages 88 to 12 before the onslaught was pierced by Louis Bielle-Biarrey’s opening try and Joe McCarthy’s needless yellow card.

#REPORT: France too good for Ireland in Dublin #rugby #news #sports https://t.co/wFB6GNzAjT pic.twitter.com/Tr4xnDO0gS

— rugby365.com (@rugby365com) March 8, 2025

If you felt that gutsy response was impressive, it was eclipsed by what transpired in the early section of the second half after Ireland, chasing a third successive championship title, hit the front 13-8 with a converted Dan Sheehan try.

That should have been the catalyst for the Grand Slam-seeking hosts to make full of home advantage. Instead, the classy France remarkably ‘won’ the next part of the match 34-0, physically battering the Irish when it most mattered.

Paul Boudehent’s lead-retaking converted try on 47 minutes accompanied a yellow card for Calvin Nash. Bielle-Biarrey then added his second score with the man advantage.

Sub Oscar Jegou secured the four-try bonus point on 59 minutes, and the win was rounded off by Damian Penaud’s breakaway try from a Thomas Ramos intercept six minutes from the finish even though Francois Cros had just been sin-binned.

Ireland did grab consolations through Cian Healy and Jack Conan to reduce the humiliating 29-point margin to 15 points, but that late fade took nothing away from the majesty of this French win at a venue where the Irish had lost just once in 24 home matches before this capitulation.

Here are the France player ratings:

15. Thomas Ramos – 7
Switched to full-back from out-half, he wasn’t massively involved when the result was up for grabs. However, he did what he needed when called on, landing nearly all his place kicks and demonstrating his high level of concentration when snapping up the intercept late on to set up Penaud.

14. Damian Penaud – 7.5
Recalled after getting axed for round three in Italy, he had a brain fart when his ill-advised quick throw late in the first half near halfway was followed by a too-casual run back to sloppily tidy up near his try line. Show his class in the second period, though, his break pivotal in the second Bielle-Biarrey score. Then rounded off his day with a runaway score to equal Serge Blanco’s French try-scoring record.

13. Pierre-Louis Barassi – 6.5
Only played 48 minutes due to the yellow-carded head injury he received from Nash. Was defensively slack in Italy and was worryingly left grasping air by a Hugo Keenan run on 11 minutes. However, when France attacked he looked threatening with some jinking footwork.

12. Yoram Moefana – 8
Bundee Aki was Ireland’s man of the match in Wales the last day, but he was never allowed to be an enforcer here due to the confident way Moefana patrolled the inside centre channel, most critically during the opening 15 minutes when the Irish owned the ball. There were some tackles missed, but it didn’t affect him.

11. Louis Bielle-Biarrey – 9
Similar to Rome, where a quiet start was followed by a flourish, he wasn’t involved here until the 20th minute when his kick ahead caused the panic that tempted McCarthy to foul the supporting Ramos off the ball. Opened the scoring a minute later and followed it with a ‘worldie’ of a finish 10 minutes into the second half. Superb.

10. Romain Ntamack – 8
Back from suspension, he more than eclipsed opposite number Sam Prendergast with a composed effort where he didn’t miss a beat following the early departure of Dupont inside him.

9. Antoine Dupont – 6
Up against the world’s second-best nine, the world’s best scrum-half sadly lasted only 29 minutes due to a knee injury sustained when cleared out at a breakdown. Started sloppily, and his knock-on in a tackle ruled out his 14th-minute breakaway try. Then showed class, giving Bielle-Biarrey the try assist and dropping jaws with a sweet 26th-minute reverse pass. Sadly carted off minutes later.

1. Jean-Baptiste Gros – 7.5
Solid first-half where he was enthusiastic in the tackle was followed by an eventful nine-minute second-half involvement where his soft offside penalty, which gave Ireland the invite for Sheehan’s try, was followed by a supreme offload in the lead-up to the all-important Boudehent try.

2. Peato Mauvaka – 8
Would have been frustrated with his no-release penalty in the opening half, but he threw well: just look at his confidence throwing to the tail in the lead-up to the first French try on 21 minutes. It was his nimble break that then forced the ruck penalty from Caelan Doris, producing the advantage that culminated in Bielle-Biarrey’s second try.

3. Uini Atonio – 7
Certainly wasn’t in Dublin to carry the ball, but the nuts and bolts of his game – scrummaging and getting in his tackles – were certainly to scratch during his 49-minute appearance.

4. Thibaud Flament – 8
Has emerged as the glue player in the French engine room. His kick-off receipts were textbook, his tackling industrious and his breakdown involvements important in his 76 minutes. At the heart of the game’s most controversial moment when he went through the ruck and grabbed Peter O’Mahony off the ball to create a defensive hole in the lead-up to Boudehent’s crucial try. Referee Angus Gardner gave him the benefit and called no foul play.

5. Mickael Guillard – 7
Not as impressive as against Italy where his opening try and level of physicality very much helped to set the tone for that triumph. The frantic pace of the game seemed to take a toll but he was still great value for his 49 minutes.

6. Francois Cros – 9
Bielle-Biarrey took the sponsor’s gong but the blindside stood out for RugbyPass for the belligerent way he led the defence when the French were under the pump during the opening 15 minutes. His tackling during that period was top-notch and invaluable in preventing the Irish from scoring, and it was his turnover that changed the early momentum. Ended with a 74th-minute yellow.

7. Paul Boudehent – 8.5
It was his tackle on a ball-less Tadhg Beirne that gave Ireland their opening points on 35 minutes, but that was a rare mishap in an excellent 80-minute effort decorated by a treasured try seven minutes into the second half. Brought the fight to Ireland with his frequent ball-carrying.

8. Gregory Alldritt – 8
An injury concern coming into the match, his first-half resistance was important in shackling the Irish. Tag-teamed with Boudehent to hold up Doris early on and then skippered the team well after Dupont’s departure through to his own exit nine minutes into the second half.

Replacements:
16. Julien Marchand – 8
An excellent 31 minutes where he was eager to carry and solid in the tackle.

17. Cyril Baille – 7
Another of the 49-minute batch of forwards reinforcements who can hold his head very high.

18. Dorian Aldegheri – 6.5
Similar to Atonio, he was ball allergic but fully invested in all other parts of the game.

19. Emmanuel Meafou – 8.5
Leader of the 7-1 bomb squad, he was all-action during his 31 minutes. A prime reason why the Irish wilted during the Nash sin-binning.

20. Hugo Auradou – No Rating
Only give four token minutes at the finish, a period of the game that Ireland ‘won’ 14-0.

21. Oscar Jegou – 8
Another of the subs who led the charge, the back-rower entered as a midfielder for Barassi on 48 minutes. He was cursed when rashly kicking possession with two players outside him, but he made amends for that error with an excellent 59th-minute finish that bamboozled Beirne.

22. Anthony Jelonch – 7.5
Another important cog in the power surge from the 49th minute onwards, he took over from Alldritt and was a very useful operator.

23. Maxime Lucu – 9
The only back on the 7-1 French bench, Gallic fans would have been distraught with the early departure of Dupont but the sub scrumhalf was fantastic in seamlessly making light of the change. His best moment was the offload for the vital Boudehent try.