France v Ireland hilites

bnm

You see how passive Ireland were off the line, and they played exactly like that against the Boks, only we completely dominated them up front as well.

Yet, we never really put them away. Meanwhile they made France look like the Harlem Globetrotters.

It's an area where the Boks could really improve.

But notice how involved Moefana is in the French midfield versus DDA. They don't skip him out of attacking moves.

The Boks were camped on Ireland's line, grinding them into dust, winning penalties and buying cards. But almost none of that turned into points. Make no mistake, I appreciate the mental scarring, but one wonders how many points France would have scored had they been on Irelands line for twenty minutes.

Different day, different team, I know, but for the Boks to go to the next level, when the opportunity presents itself, they need to be able to do what France did last night.

Nevertheless, France were on fire. The

game flew by and it was all down to their magic.

Ireland are in deep trouble. Their pack are going to murdered by England.

What say you Stav, where to from here?

Pass from Depo to Moefana definitely forward in that first try, clearly forward out of the hands. Moefana to Le Beep looked marginal but okay, ball came backwards out of the hands - even though Le Beep was slightly in front of him he stepped back to catch the pass.

I see people on social media are calling the Anton knock in the second try like I did on the live viewing, but checking it in slomo it was tapped forward by the 8's foot so I'd say that one is fine.

On the flip side, Sam Prendergast had yet another top-flight Test he’ll want to forget. Put simply the Leinster 10 looked as slow as dial-up internet compared to France’s 15-man fibre broadband, a man dazzled and lost in the headlights of countless French juggernauts.

His pause passing prevented any Irish backline momentum, and his backline were sitting ducks, waiting to be picked off by the brilliance of the French back five time and time again and he offered zero threat, control or intellect to an Irish backline starved of control. And, in the second half, to add insult to the near terminal injury that was Prendergast’s hapless volley for Bielle-Biarrey’s first try, Thomas Ramos, with remarkable symmetry, showed the Irishman how it’s done as he followed suit with a rather more effective volley for the flying wing’s second of the night.

If ever a match was defined by the contrasting fortunes of two players, it was this, and those players were Jalibert and Prendergast – and for vastly different reasons.

Prenny did better once Ireland got some possession and started running, he doesn't have bad timing on his passes. On the back foot behind the gain line though, and defensively, he's a liability.

He just seems slow and weak to me.

These front foot 10s look all the business when the wind blows their way but when the weather changes they come apart completely.

I can't believe he's their first choice.

Yeah I don't see him fitting in with the Irish style of play. I remember in one of the plays during Ireland's bloom period last night he had a gap in front of him - someone like Sacha or Jellybear would have been through there. Prenny just passed the ball on.

Their persistence in playing him has to be born from not having faith in any of the other options, or Farrell has some kind of bias towards the guy. He's not even impressive at club level.

Yeah.

As I mentioned in the match thread, imagine they could bring Jordan Hendrikse on. A guy not even on our radar at the moment.

And tell him to take it to the line but if he's sees a gap, to put someone through it. Nothing amazing. Doesn't require Neo levels of skill. Yet it would have changed the complexion of the game entirely.

To think that Ireland don't even have a simple option like that at their disposal is crazy.

And then England have guys like Ford, Smith and more behind them in the queue.

Poor old Stav.

Can we send him a Bok jersey?

...got my coffee and that's my cue to rewatch the highlights of the 14 man Boks demolish French hahaha

But notice how involved Moefana is in the French midfield versus DDA. They don't skip him out of attacking moves.

The French used all their backs to create space and momentum. South African teams are defaulting to the skip/cutout pass, even the Boks do it too often, to get the ball wide. It doesn't work unless you get it to a man in space wide, the defence just shifts that much faster. Watch how the Sharks backs were neutralized with Jordan's slow cutout passes last weekend. All the time that ball is in the air a defender is charging up on the clear receiver. Which is why I said in my other thread, our backs have become little more than kick chasers.

There were 2 real class backline players on show in the match - namely Louis Bielle-Biarrey; 10 Matthieu Jalibert o show in thast match, Both were in the match against the Sprn gboks a;st year and not rnning riot like apned yesterday.

As far as I am concerned B-B is the best wing in world rugby and Jalibert the best flyhalf in the northern hemisphere.

"The French used all their backs to create space and momentum. South African teams are defaulting to the skip/cutout pass, even the Boks do it too often, to get the ball wide"

There must be something to it that I don't understand because it goes directly against the concept of capitalising on forward dominance which we always seem to have.

You'd think that the faster the ball gets out wide, the less time a big pack has to get there to secure the ball.

It just seems to make so much more sense to play through the hands, take gaps where you find them, and let the forwards get over it if you get caught out.

Instead we skip it out wide, give nobody time to get there and also force less tackles.

Perhaps some non rugby noob can explain it to me.

Both were in the match against the Sprn gboks a;st year and not rnning riot like apned yesterday.

Jellybear didn't play against the Boks last year Mike, it was Ntamack at flyhalf. Jelly was a menace in the 2023 WC QF - ask Pollard.

Sorry abut that mistake about Jailert. .

No worries, Mike.

"“I don’t think (Ireland were lacklustre), I think it was just the quality of the attack they were having to deal with that was the problem for them."

One can only wonder what planet Shaun Edward's is on.

The French showed some great interplay and it looks like every player had time on the ball. Instead running head down, they are fine with taking a step back no getting the ball to a support player with space in front. Where as Ireland run that stupid wedge non stop to draw in defenders and then do a loop pass out wide. France was very smart in defending them and made it look simple.

France had some nice touches, that little lob volley kick out wide, was it planned? Or just knew he has the right player.

I think we’ll learn more as the tournament goes on but France always looks good in the 6 nations,

Ireland is unraveling fast

France won't look that good against England.

As much as everybody bemoans Ford, he's a gritty and competent 10.

Borthwick has the English pack full of confidence and backing themselves. For me, that series in NZ, even though they didn't win it, was the moment their account went into the black.

France won't have nearly the time or possession they had against Ireland. Get in amongst them and they fold, is probably the narrative based in the last couple of years of French games.

As much as it was nice to watch France hardly ever drop a ball, and make some of the best offloads of 2026 thus far, it was also annoying to see how easy Ireland made it for them.

I'm not still not convinced by England. Every game I've seen that play recently they well enough then just switch off for 20-30 minutes.

Playing well is the hard part.

Staying switched on is very solvable.

Dunno, I just get a good feeling about their direction when I watch them.