Coach lauds France's remarkable attacking display against Ireland
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Antoine Dupont (right) of France and Jamison Gibson-Park of Ireland in action during the Six Nations rugby match.
PHOTO: EPA
PARIS – France coach Fabien Galthie lauded his team’s attacking performance after their dazzling 36-14 victory over Ireland in their Six Nations opener on Feb 5.
A brace of tries from Louis Bielley-Biarrey and one from mercurial fly-half Matthieu Jalibert helped France storm into a 29-0 lead, before winger Theo Attissogbe put some gloss on the victory late on at the Stade de France.
“In an attacking sense, with the ball, the team played with great accuracy,” Galthie said.
“It was one of the most accurate attacking performances in a long time despite the weather conditions. The variety between kicking and keeping the ball in hand was remarkable.”
Playing together for only the second time since the 2023 Rugby World Cup, half-backs Antoine Dupont and Jalibert made light of the rain to continuously probe Ireland for weaknesses.
Both helped create a try with a deft chip over Ireland’s rush defence.
“We switched well between our forwards and the backs,” said captain Dupont, who was making his first appearance for France in 11 months following a cruciate knee ligament injury.
“Despite the conditions, we managed to be accurate technically and passed the ball and worked it wide. It’s... a good sign of what’s to come”.
With the game all but won on 49 minutes with France leading 29-0 – lock Charles Ollivon had also scored – Galthie changed five forwards in one fell swoop and France started to lose their way.
Replacement forwards Nick Timoney and Michael Milne both crossed to raise concerns among the home fans that Ireland could rumble up a head of steam and make a fist of things.
But France steadied the ship and Attissogbe’s try clinched a commanding victory.
“We were playing Ireland, after all,” added Galthie, whose team are ranked fifth in the world, a rung below the Irish.
Ireland coach Andy Farrell was scathing about his team and their passive start to the game.
“We’re very disappointed, through something I never thought I’d say about this Ireland team – a lack of intensity in the first half,” he told British television network ITV.
“Missed tackles, missing the scraps on the ground and the ball in the air. It’s just intention and if that is lacking, you are not going to win any international game, never mind one in Paris.”
He was pleased with Ireland’s second-half fightback, but that was not what he expected from them.
“It’s not what we want to be here – a responding team to something that we need to show up with from the get-go,” Farrell added.
France travel to Wales on Feb 15 in the second round of the tournament while Ireland host Italy on Feb 14. AFP
