:01:05. > :01:11.Welcome to Cardiff for Ireland against France. Wales beat
:01:11. > :01:21.Argentina here, 28-13. The best moments of that to come. But here
:01:21. > :01:22.
:01:22. > :02:14.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 52 seconds
:02:14. > :02:24.we go at the of the stadium. This is there! What a change by Ireland!
:02:24. > :02:41.
:02:41. > :02:50.Beautiful from Brian O'Driscoll. It try! It could be on for David
:02:50. > :03:00.Wallace. Jamie Heaslip, try for Ireland! Impeccable. Five out of
:03:00. > :03:01.
:03:01. > :03:08.Interestingly, France have won 10 out of the last 11 meetings between
:03:08. > :03:13.these teams, including a 19-12 in Bordeaux last weekend. Just about
:03:13. > :03:23.full strength for both teams. Some familiar teams are returning to the
:03:23. > :03:24.
:03:24. > :03:30.Brian O'Driscoll is back. It is a bad performance, not results, he
:03:30. > :03:35.says. He had more than most after Ireland's exit from the World Cup
:03:35. > :03:40.four years ago. He and Gordon D'Arcy are reunited in the midfield
:03:40. > :03:45.today. Paul O'Connell returns to bolster the second row. These are
:03:45. > :03:49.the big names that will have to play well today, next week and in
:03:49. > :03:53.New Zealand if Ireland are to play to their potential. For some like
:03:53. > :03:57.Stephen Ferris, today is the chance to make the World Cup squad after
:03:57. > :04:06.winning a long battle against injury. A lot to play for for a lot
:04:06. > :04:12.With us here in Cardiff, Jeremy Guscott, Keith Wood and Jonathan
:04:12. > :04:20.Davies. Ireland lost to Scotland a couple of weeks ago, they lost to
:04:20. > :04:25.France last week,... I think they will win this one. The first two
:04:25. > :04:29.Games, a lot of shadow-boxing involved, getting players back from
:04:29. > :04:33.injury, the extended elements of the squad together. This is the
:04:33. > :04:38.first time it looks like a proper Irish team. A few of them will be
:04:38. > :04:44.rusty. Felix Jones sticks out, because a lot of people will not
:04:44. > :04:49.know him. If he gets a chance, he is blisteringly quick. Tell us
:04:49. > :04:56.about his history. He had a serious neck injury, he was out for a year,
:04:56. > :04:59.he then came back, and he quickly tore his cruciate and he was out
:04:59. > :05:06.for another year. He has come back as if he has never had an injury,
:05:06. > :05:13.he throws himself about with abandon. He is a talent, it will be
:05:13. > :05:21.great to see him. He also has great people inside him. He has the
:05:21. > :05:31.opportunity to shine. This is Wales earlier, beating Argentina, 28-13.
:05:31. > :05:32.
:05:32. > :05:36.It was all Argentina for the first 30 minutes. That was followed up by
:05:36. > :05:43.this great run from George North and support play from Alun Wyn
:05:43. > :05:53.Jones. Wales led 14-3 at half-time. George North scored in the second
:05:53. > :05:54.
:05:55. > :06:00.It was OK for Wales, better than last week against England, the
:06:00. > :06:05.scrum was a lot better, but questions about the line-outs. The
:06:05. > :06:10.group that they have got, they need the scrum and line-out to work well.
:06:10. > :06:20.But they were very shocked offensively. Scotland are playing
:06:20. > :06:32.
:06:32. > :06:35.Back in Dublin after a couple of weeks on the road, a big game,
:06:35. > :06:40.people trying to force their way into the squad, and big names
:06:40. > :06:46.coming back. Yes, all of the boys are keen to play, and it is a
:06:46. > :06:51.fantastic occasion here. His huge crowd is coming. You must know a
:06:51. > :06:58.your squad for the World Cup, how close are you? I have a fair idea,
:06:58. > :07:05.but let's play the game. I was hoping he would reveal it! Is it
:07:05. > :07:09.about the result or the performance? Every time you play
:07:09. > :07:14.for the national team, you want to get a win. That is what we will go
:07:14. > :07:18.after. But you need to perform well. It is a chicken-and-egg situation.
:07:18. > :07:27.We know we have to play well and take the opportunities that come
:07:27. > :07:31.our way, but we are against a 4 million -- formidable French side.
:07:31. > :07:36.Do you watch through your fingers some of the big names? There is no
:07:36. > :07:41.point, you have to play. That is what rugby is all about, you have
:07:41. > :07:51.to play regularly, you have to get hardened, and you have to do that
:07:51. > :07:56.
:07:56. > :08:06.through playing. Training sessions Approaching half-time, South Africa
:08:06. > :08:17.
:08:17. > :08:22.A straight from the debt go, I have this conversation with Keith,
:08:22. > :08:26.why can they not live up to their expectations? Keepsake it is a
:08:26. > :08:31.mental block. If they do not believe, they will never win the
:08:31. > :08:36.World Cup. They have a great opportunity to beat Australia. Then,
:08:36. > :08:40.their progression to the final is easier. They do not have a mental
:08:40. > :08:44.block on that group, they know they can beat Australia, even though it
:08:44. > :08:51.is a tough match. They have done it in the past, they have got over
:08:51. > :08:55.that hurdle. It is one of the more comfortable groups. I think they
:08:55. > :09:03.will go through. If they can get over Australia, anything is
:09:03. > :09:08.possible. Australia's package is weak in the front row. The men in
:09:08. > :09:14.white, the French. They are led by Lionel Nallet. Some familiar names
:09:14. > :09:20.backing the team. A formidable starting 15. We always love
:09:20. > :09:26.watching France play. They will give Ireland a rough ride, in
:09:26. > :09:34.particular, the pack, the front row looks aggressive and powerful.
:09:34. > :09:38.can see Brian O'Driscoll, an interesting point, a Brian
:09:38. > :09:42.O'Driscoll and Paul O'Connell are such iconic figures for the Irish
:09:42. > :09:49.team, they cannot afford to lose players like that, because they do
:09:49. > :09:53.not have the depth below it. team has that depth of status or
:09:53. > :10:00.leadership. If you look at New Zealand, they have good players
:10:00. > :10:04.below them, but they do not have the characters. Talking about line-
:10:04. > :10:09.outs, there is a comfort, having Paul O'Connell there, because he
:10:09. > :10:16.has done it in the past and he always will, and the same for Brian
:10:16. > :10:21.O'Driscoll. The teams are waiting in the tunnel. Jonathan? A very
:10:21. > :10:27.tough one to court. Ireland need to win. I think Ireland will win
:10:27. > :10:32.because of that. They do not want three defeats in a row. But they
:10:32. > :10:42.say it is not as important as that, they do not seem to be stressed out.
:10:42. > :10:42.
:10:42. > :10:46.They are mentally tough,... those of you who missed the earlier
:10:46. > :10:54.fracas between Jeremy and Keith, it is worth having a look at the
:10:54. > :10:57.iPlayer! Just a repeat, BBC Two in Scotland, Scotland against Italy,
:10:58. > :11:02.and it is available on the red button, but here we go for Ireland
:11:02. > :11:12.against France. Phillip Matthews and Andrew Cotter in the commentary
:11:12. > :11:17.warm-up game, there is so much at stake. For some, it is about
:11:17. > :11:21.burning their place in New Zealand, for others, it is about fitness.
:11:21. > :11:24.For all of them, it is about winning and playing well and
:11:24. > :11:30.getting the all-important confidence to take with them on the
:11:30. > :11:38.long trip south. The stadium announcer is confident, a huge
:11:38. > :11:43.noise to welcome these players. France in unfamiliar all white. The
:11:43. > :11:48.familiar ritual before the kick-off, the anthems. There is Felix Jones,
:11:48. > :11:58.what a day for him, trying to force his way into the squad, the young
:11:58. > :11:59.
:11:59. > :12:09.full-back. Lansdowne Road is nearly full. They are already to sing in
:12:09. > :12:14.
:12:14. > :12:17.# Allons enfants de la Patrie. # Le jour de gloire est arrive!
:12:17. > :12:25.# Contre nous de la tyrannie. # L'etendard sanglant est leve.
:12:25. > :12:34.# L'etendard sanglant est leve! # Entendez-vous dans les campagnes.
:12:34. > :12:38.# Mugir ces feroces soldats. # Ils viennent jusque dans vos bras.
:12:38. > :12:46.# Egorger vos fils et vos compagnes!
:12:46. > :12:53.# Aux armes, citoyens. # Formez vos bataillons.
:12:53. > :13:03.# Marchons, marchons! # Qu'un sang impur.
:13:03. > :13:27.
:13:27. > :13:30.# Sinne Fianna Fail. # A ta faoi gheall ag Eirinn.
:13:30. > :13:39.# Buion dar slua. # Thar toinn do rainig chughainn.
:13:39. > :13:46.# Faoi mhoid bheith soar. # Sean tir ar sinsear feasta.
:13:46. > :13:53.# Ni fhagfar faoin tioran na faoin traill.
:13:53. > :13:57.# Anocht a theam sa bhearna baoil. # Le gean ar Ghaeil chun bais no
:13:57. > :14:03.saoil. # Le gunna screach, faoi lamhach na
:14:03. > :14:13.bpilear. # Seo libh canaig amhran na bhFiann
:14:13. > :14:43.
:14:43. > :14:49.# Come the day and come the hour. # Come the power and the glory.
:14:49. > :14:54.# We have come to answer our country's call.
:14:54. > :15:03.# From the four proud provinces of Ireland.
:15:03. > :15:13.# Ireland, Ireland. # Together standing tall.
:15:13. > :15:13.
:15:13. > :15:23.# Shoulder to shoulder. # We'll answer Ireland's call.
:15:23. > :15:30.
:15:30. > :15:39.# Ireland, Ireland. # Together standing tall.
:15:39. > :15:49.# Shoulder to shoulder. # We'll answer Ireland's call.
:15:49. > :16:15.
:16:15. > :16:21.before the World Cup. This is the and in the absence of the range it
:16:21. > :16:31.-- the injured Rob Carney, perhaps Philip Jones can book his place.
:16:31. > :16:43.
:16:43. > :16:47.No fewer than seven players getting after breaking his ankle in of May.
:16:47. > :16:57.On the bench, the return of Stephen Ferris on the back row should
:16:57. > :17:06.
:17:06. > :17:15.The South African referee for this one. And it will be France who get
:17:15. > :17:20.us underway. David Skrela's ball in hand, and the penultimate warm-up
:17:20. > :17:24.game for Ireland is under way. The last one for France, and how
:17:24. > :17:34.Ireland would love a great performance, a win. This is near
:17:34. > :17:34.
:17:34. > :18:26.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 52 seconds
:18:26. > :18:30.but forget to take the ball with better start. Cast your mind back
:18:30. > :18:35.to last week in Bordeaux, they could not get their hands on the
:18:35. > :18:39.ball, and when they did they could not hang on to it. Brian O'Driscoll
:18:39. > :18:44.and Paul O'Connell, in terms of restart and set pieces, will give
:18:44. > :18:48.this Irish team a lift. They have got Australia in their group, one
:18:48. > :18:52.of the best three quarters in world rugby at the moment, and who better
:18:52. > :18:58.to practise your defence against than the best three quarters in
:18:58. > :19:03.Europe, France. Really good preparation, these two Test against
:19:03. > :19:13.France. We saw Felix Jones getting his hands on the ball, in because
:19:13. > :19:50.
:19:50. > :20:00.tones turn to a wall inside Lansdowne Road. Three points on the
:20:00. > :20:02.
:20:02. > :20:12.board for the home side. -- turn to a roar. He is a confident kicker,
:20:12. > :20:12.
:20:12. > :20:59.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 52 seconds
:20:59. > :21:03.he will be pleased to have put that Ireland in light of the counter-
:21:04. > :21:10.attack. Last week, the restart was something they struggled with and a
:21:10. > :21:15.different French side challenged them. You really have to get the
:21:15. > :21:25.set pieces right, a lot more structured, but Ireland so far are
:21:25. > :21:33.
:21:33. > :21:40.can't -- are coping with those very This is a big area for Ireland, for
:21:40. > :21:50.any side, but the line-out against a giant French back, Rory Best will
:21:50. > :21:50.
:21:50. > :23:36.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 52 seconds
:23:36. > :23:40.wit Sexton. Up to the fringes of in front of the post, but phase
:23:40. > :23:44.after phase from Ireland, did not let the ball slip, good defence
:23:44. > :23:50.from France, but ultimately will end in a pub at goal from Sexton
:23:50. > :24:00.again. Ireland have been able to get good, quick second phase ball
:24:00. > :24:14.
:24:14. > :24:18.inside the French half. There is something to commend there, it is
:24:18. > :24:21.the confidence. The last time we saw Jonathan Sexton at Lansdowne
:24:21. > :24:26.Road was against England and you remember the confidence he had then.
:24:26. > :24:30.It is a good side for Ireland, they want to play a proactive, attacking
:24:30. > :24:35.rugby. The last World Cup was characterised by defensive kicking.
:24:35. > :24:40.I think we will see a different world Cup this year. I can see a
:24:40. > :24:50.lot more counter-attacking, a lot more ambition. It seems to be more
:24:50. > :25:25.
:25:25. > :25:35.about a road bit fitness. -- the contact. O'Driscoll, no way
:25:35. > :25:49.
:25:49. > :25:55.walled has risen up in front of him. -- Keith Earls. A try for Ireland!
:25:55. > :25:59.What a start they have made! Dominated France, and it is key in
:25:59. > :26:09.Healy with his first try for his country. They were running a bit
:26:09. > :26:09.
:26:09. > :26:17.too wide -- Cian Healy. They are not allowing France to challenge
:26:17. > :26:21.and are getting the ball quickly away. Cian Healy was able to just
:26:21. > :26:26.pick that out. He fancied his chances there. No way Morgan Parra
:26:26. > :26:31.was going to stop him. Keith Earls does well to step inside and not
:26:31. > :26:36.get bundled into touch. The ball is quick, France cannot challenge.
:26:36. > :26:41.That was just brute strength from Cian Healy. We saw the position
:26:41. > :26:45.initially from Sean O'Brien, what a false he. He can get you going
:26:46. > :26:50.forward again when things become static. He will get behind any
:26:50. > :26:54.defence, which he has done a couple of times today already.
:26:54. > :27:04.conversion attempt from Sexton, out wide, but such an impressive start
:27:04. > :27:04.
:27:04. > :27:49.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 52 seconds
:27:49. > :27:53.at the ball by the time Sexton hit it! The lead is eight points. In
:27:53. > :27:57.terms of possession, pretty much 100% Ireland. A complete reversal
:27:57. > :28:04.of the first 10 minutes last week, France have barely had their hands
:28:04. > :28:14.on the ball. The injured French man down was David Skrela, he is off.
:28:14. > :28:24.
:28:24. > :28:34.Francois Trinh-Duc is on. Not a bad again, they have got themselves a
:28:34. > :28:38.
:28:38. > :28:42.the knock-on. Here we are, another test, because the Irish First
:28:43. > :28:49.Choice front row which we see in front of us today is pretty useful
:28:49. > :28:57.in the scrum, but there back-up props were pushed around against
:28:57. > :29:01.Connacht on Monday night. And this is a big French back. There are a
:29:01. > :29:08.number of players in this side that cannot afford to get injured, and
:29:08. > :29:13.one of them is Mike Ross, you would have to say the same against Brian
:29:13. > :29:21.O'Driscoll. Mike Ross has become a critical player. Bowd props
:29:21. > :29:31.critical to the Irish cause. -- both of the props are critical to
:29:31. > :29:34.
:29:34. > :29:39.huge playing numbers, it is the prop numbers which suffer most of
:29:39. > :29:44.all. Good First Choice, but not a huge amount of strength and depth,
:29:44. > :29:48.and France know that. They have to take the scrum against. France have
:29:48. > :29:58.to get something going, they have to get their forwards into this
:29:58. > :30:16.
:30:16. > :30:26.decent shot from Ireland. Become all ushered towards the stand. --
:30:26. > :31:00.
:31:00. > :31:05.you get a late call-up, you are desperate to impress. Yes, that was
:31:05. > :31:13.anxiety, he took his eye off the ball. He was looking at who he had
:31:13. > :31:17.to beat before he had it. So far, France, not impressive, they are
:31:17. > :31:21.running towards touchlines, turning over possession. This is not the
:31:21. > :31:31.same France as last week, they are lacking direction, leadership and
:31:31. > :31:31.
:31:31. > :33:31.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 52 seconds
:33:31. > :33:35.Cian Healy, he was able to stand up. That is what we saw last year, that
:33:35. > :33:40.was a real feature of the Irish forward play. Preventing the
:33:40. > :33:46.attacking player going to ground. Talking of Paul O'Connell, he has
:33:46. > :33:54.got him upright, and that led to the turnover. France could not get
:33:54. > :34:00.the ball, a great start for Cian Healy, a try and a turnover. When
:34:00. > :34:08.you see Cian Healy and other key players taking a knock, you wince,
:34:08. > :34:18.but he is fine. He is ready to scrum again. His try and penalty of
:34:18. > :34:42.
:34:42. > :34:46.Ireland of playing with ambition, they are not playing the territory
:34:46. > :34:54.game at all. Jonathan Sexton trying to get the ball into the hands of
:34:54. > :34:58.his three-quarter. If this is a warm-up, they are making a steak
:34:58. > :35:08.and, this is how they are going to play in the World Cup. -- making a
:35:08. > :35:18.statement. To be trees RS of ski, fresh from the beach! -- Dimitri
:35:18. > :35:36.
:35:36. > :35:46.France will be gone to the ball. -- France holding on to the ball.
:35:46. > :36:05.
:36:05. > :36:11.Louis Picamoles is not having a finder, he is just content to make
:36:11. > :36:21.sure of the line-out. Gordon D'Arcy and Brian O'Driscoll back in tandem
:36:21. > :36:21.
:36:21. > :37:02.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 52 seconds
:37:02. > :37:12.Sean O'Brien, as if they were not to wrap himself in cotton wool.
:37:12. > :37:17.
:37:17. > :37:23.given to be injured, Sod's law will say that is when you get injured. A
:37:23. > :37:33.full-blooded performance from everybody so far. Dimitri
:37:33. > :37:33.
:37:33. > :38:31.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 52 seconds
:38:31. > :38:38.-- penalty. You do wince. Yes. Paul O'Connell is a stone lighter than
:38:38. > :38:45.he would have been the last time he played. But his ball-carrying is
:38:45. > :38:50.better, he is more dynamic. He is giving up weight to Donncha
:38:50. > :38:55.O'Callaghan. This weight suits Paul O'Connell much better. He is more
:38:55. > :39:01.dynamic and athletic looking. Receiving a bit of treatment. But
:39:01. > :39:08.he is OK. All he can hope for is a decent performance and for players
:39:08. > :39:18.to come through unscathed. Paul O'Connell and Donncha O'Callaghan,
:39:18. > :39:20.
:39:20. > :39:30.people walk off the Irish pack. -- the bulwark of the Irish pack. An
:39:30. > :39:30.
:39:30. > :40:28.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 52 seconds
:40:28. > :40:34.flanker, and a good kick. It was a bounce of the ball. Alexis Palisson
:40:34. > :40:39.was well tackled by Felix Jones. Paul O'Connell Getting about the
:40:39. > :40:49.place. Every Bickley, he is in much better shape, he saved Ireland's
:40:49. > :40:56.
:40:56. > :41:00.not too serious for Cian Healy. -- worrying sight. He would not be
:41:00. > :41:05.able to tell if you were dropped from Mars that this was not a
:41:05. > :41:15.fierce test match in a World Cup or Six Nations, it is just a warm-up,
:41:15. > :41:42.
:41:42. > :41:48.clinging onto the ball. Keith else has done everything right, he put
:41:48. > :41:54.himself in position to take the pass from Tomas O'Leary, but the
:41:54. > :42:02.loose pass was their undoing. only the second time, the French
:42:03. > :42:10.fans are singing. The kick at goal coming from Morgan Parra. I saw a
:42:10. > :42:20.few French spectators in Dublin this morning, not too many. Brian
:42:20. > :42:20.
:42:20. > :43:01.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 52 seconds
:43:01. > :43:04.O'Driscoll talking furiously to moment for France, but it is
:43:04. > :43:08.something, and it reflects the place so far. Ireland have been
:43:09. > :43:16.pretty much in control. Yes, Ireland have been creating the
:43:16. > :43:26.chances so far. They have had the vast majority of the possession.
:43:26. > :43:27.
:43:27. > :43:37.France have only really had restocked, getting the ball back
:43:37. > :43:52.
:43:52. > :43:57.from restarts and upping their but Keith Earls did not hear him.
:43:57. > :44:03.They are shouting at each other. Keith Earls came from a long way.
:44:03. > :44:07.Jonathan Sexton was pretty well under it. If you are having to run,
:44:07. > :44:16.and there is already somebody under it, you have to leave it to the
:44:16. > :44:20.person who is under it. Keith Earls was doing most of the shouting. But
:44:20. > :44:24.that was Jonathan Sexton's ball. is good to see the players wanting
:44:24. > :44:29.the ball, that confidence, particularly from a window. You
:44:29. > :44:39.want that from your full-backs as well. The French scrum at strong
:44:39. > :45:11.
:45:11. > :45:21.direction were both fined from Francois Trinh-Duc. France have
:45:21. > :45:25.
:45:25. > :45:33.from Tomas O'Leary. The Six Nations this year, Ireland and scored
:45:33. > :45:43.France 3 tries -1. It is usually the other way round with these
:45:43. > :46:13.
:46:13. > :46:20.of Heaslip. And a penalty to France again. The tide beginning to turn.
:46:20. > :46:30.Donncha O'Callaghan had to release the tackle before he was able to
:46:30. > :46:39.
:46:39. > :46:45.take that ball. He should know that left foot. He has made the tackle,
:46:46. > :46:55.he has to get his arms out of the way. He knows that. Once again,
:46:55. > :47:04.France with his attacking position. Once again, share jet-ski troubling
:47:04. > :47:14.-- struggling to hear the call over the Norris -- Szarzewski struggling
:47:14. > :47:21.
:47:21. > :47:27.Beautiful try from France right on the half-hour mark. They take the
:47:27. > :47:33.lead. Simple. It was. Very few teams in world rugby can tear you
:47:33. > :47:42.apart like that, but France did it. Ireland seems to have it covered, a
:47:42. > :47:50.little decree in the mid- field. -- a de corps we in mid- field.
:47:50. > :47:56.Rougerie was able to turn inside. That has to go down as defensive
:47:56. > :48:02.error. Everything seemed to be covered, I don't know why Brian
:48:02. > :48:10.O'Driscoll Matt Rougerie slip inside him. That put them open.
:48:10. > :48:20.Cedric Heymans with his 16th try for France. Rougerie is back after
:48:20. > :48:40.
:48:40. > :48:46.sends the kick over again, and suddenly from a position of
:48:46. > :48:56.trailing by eight points, they now lead by by it. You can see Brian
:48:56. > :49:04.
:49:04. > :49:08.O'Driscoll having a good chat about favour of France. Ireland really
:49:08. > :49:18.need to get back into this again with possession from this kick-off.
:49:18. > :49:49.
:49:49. > :49:59.They have had a lean spell in the Felix Jones. There was a white wall
:49:59. > :50:07.
:50:07. > :50:17.in front of him and very little He has just said he is OK to Maxime
:50:17. > :50:27.Medard, so hopefully all is well. They will play on, Cian Healy is
:50:27. > :50:50.
:50:50. > :50:54.France. Pape trying to clear some Irish bodies out of the way.
:50:54. > :51:04.O'Callaghan is in there. He slowed it up, that is what he was trying
:51:04. > :51:28.
:51:28. > :51:38.to do. He has put France on the forward? It did. Estebanez raced
:51:38. > :51:38.
:51:38. > :51:44.towards the line. They will come back for a French scrum. Keith
:51:44. > :51:49.Earls was just trying to get that ball away, but it was loose in his
:51:49. > :51:59.hands rather than under his bicep. It was able to be knocked out, that
:51:59. > :52:06.has turned it over. I think this is... Does he wear contact lenses,
:52:06. > :52:11.Cian Healy? His try got island off to a flyer. He made everyone happy,
:52:11. > :52:16.well, the vast majority of people inside here happy. But it has been
:52:16. > :52:24.a full-on, aggressive Test match. A French player down injured at the
:52:24. > :52:28.moment as well. Looks like Pascal Pape. He is back on his feet now.
:52:29. > :52:33.Let's talk about the selection is in the Irish squad, named on Monday.
:52:33. > :52:39.Luke Fitzgerald is hanging on in there at the moment, Fergus
:52:39. > :52:45.McFadden, perhaps. Felix Jones. A few positions up for grabs? You put
:52:45. > :52:49.your finger on two there that may not but be going, Luke Fitzgerald
:52:49. > :52:54.and Fergus McFadden. I cannot see them both going. Felix Jones looks
:52:54. > :52:59.like he has written himself into the squad, and a think at this
:52:59. > :53:09.stage Declan Kidney has a pretty good idea about who is going, are
:53:09. > :53:09.
:53:09. > :54:01.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 52 seconds
:54:01. > :54:06.pass. An apology from the South now. They have not been able to get
:54:06. > :54:12.their hands on the ball and keep it. They need to turn this around. The
:54:13. > :54:19.only time France -- any time France have scored, Ireland have not been
:54:19. > :54:29.able to press them from the restarts. Ireland need to get
:54:29. > :54:35.
:54:35. > :54:39.themselves into possession again Domingo, is injured, it does not
:54:40. > :54:49.look like he will be ready in time for the World Cup. He was coming on
:54:50. > :55:22.
:55:22. > :55:31.that tackle off the ball without the ball, penalty to France. Keith
:55:31. > :55:35.Earls came in early in anticipation, more than anything else. The ball
:55:35. > :55:40.did not really get anywhere near Morgan Parra. We should not laugh,
:55:41. > :55:47.it could have been nasty. But Keith Earls was committed. Should be
:55:47. > :55:54.committed for that! Another man down injured. Six penalties
:55:54. > :56:04.conceded. That really is too much at this stage in the game. Sean
:56:04. > :56:06.
:56:06. > :56:16.O'Brien is down. He was hit so hard his scrum cap has, off. But he is
:56:16. > :56:22.
:56:22. > :56:27.first half, a half which started well for Ireland, but France have
:56:27. > :56:31.grown in stature and confidence and a France with confidence is pretty
:56:31. > :56:41.dangerous. Ireland ran out of steam when they were not able to maintain
:56:41. > :57:06.
:57:06. > :57:16.possession and that has stopped and France stretched their lead
:57:16. > :57:17.
:57:17. > :57:22.with half-time beckoning. What was often a weakness in French sides,
:57:22. > :57:26.place-kicking, they are now blessed with the likes of Morgan Parra.
:57:26. > :57:31.Summing up the first half, Philip? I would be concerned that Ireland
:57:31. > :57:39.have not been able to maintain the momentum of the first 10 minutes,
:57:39. > :57:49.possession in particular., a lot of periods in the game where they
:57:49. > :57:59.
:57:59. > :58:09.could not get the ball and hold on this first half if Ireland should
:58:09. > :58:12.
:58:12. > :58:16.want to start another passage of I thought Declan Kidney would be
:58:16. > :58:20.talking about a bit more balance in the second half, play more
:58:20. > :58:30.territory when it is on and put pressure in the French 22 if they
:58:30. > :58:44.
:58:44. > :58:54.France hanging on. They should just pop it into touch and say, we will
:58:54. > :59:02.
:59:02. > :59:12.first half is over, a try appease, but France with the wind in their
:59:12. > :59:14.
:59:14. > :59:24.sails towards the end of the first Good game, good game, and nobody
:59:24. > :59:30.giving any quarter or asking for it. A half of two marks, you could say.
:59:30. > :59:38.-- of two hearts. It is not how you envisage it? They seemed to drift
:59:38. > :59:43.away from it, giving away penalties. The momentum totally swung France's
:59:43. > :59:48.way, and they have looked like they are struggling for the last 15, 20
:59:48. > :59:53.minutes. It is something they will have to rectify quickly. They are
:59:53. > :59:58.making fundamental errors. A lot of teams struggle with the momentum.
:59:58. > :00:02.It can happen when you're lineout stops functioning, you lose your
:00:02. > :00:07.own ball and then at the breakdown you are not getting quick ball, and
:00:07. > :00:12.I am surprised, I think there is a simple fix, going back to basics,
:00:12. > :00:17.hit up the middle, get your support, then sort out your lineout and your
:00:17. > :00:25.scrum should be pretty good anyway. When you had so experienced players
:00:25. > :00:29.like O'Connell and O'Driscoll in your side, you should not lose at
:00:29. > :00:35.momentum. But France have that breakdown area more sorted and are
:00:36. > :00:45.banging into Ireland. For the first 15 minutes, France will not beat
:00:46. > :00:45.
:00:46. > :00:53.Ireland were very natural. They had one break from Sean O'Brien. The
:00:53. > :00:58.difference is, when they go on the attack... This is a great try. Sean
:00:58. > :01:06.O'Brien bursts through, but they did not do with enough. A great
:01:06. > :01:12.finish by the prop. He is to begin strong, and he scores. We talked
:01:12. > :01:17.about momentum, the drop goal was momentum as well. A great start,
:01:17. > :01:24.and they thoroughly deserved that. But they look far more threatening,
:01:24. > :01:30.the French. Yes, but it is about compounding the error is, if there
:01:30. > :01:35.is an error. You have to make sure there are not six or seven. The
:01:35. > :01:39.drop goal was phenomenal, but it came from a loose kick. France have
:01:39. > :01:43.had several opportunities, several half bricks, where they have been
:01:44. > :01:50.making ground, putting Ireland on the back foot. You can never take
:01:50. > :01:56.France out of the game. What they make out of nothing is amazing.
:01:56. > :02:03.This is smooth running from Alexis Palisson. Left, right, left, right.
:02:03. > :02:10.It is beautiful. It is poetry in motion. Tomas O'Leary was left, and
:02:10. > :02:19.it was his loose kick. You thought, what will Francois Trinh-Duc do?
:02:19. > :02:25.Became almost swung at that moment. It was a great steel. It was 15
:02:25. > :02:30.yards out. But you do not expect somebody to do that. He did not
:02:30. > :02:35.even have to kick it into touch. Watch New Zealand, two passes, then
:02:35. > :02:45.they decide what to do. Because then you walk into space, and
:02:45. > :02:50.anything can happen. Tomas O'Leary, I hate it, I would attract a scrum
:02:50. > :02:56.half for kicking it away a turnover bought. There were a lot of guys,
:02:56. > :03:06.but there was not the depth. If his intention was to kick it down the
:03:06. > :03:07.
:03:07. > :03:13.line,... I would why? -- but why? You have to have people chasing.
:03:13. > :03:17.Everybody is attracted to the ruck. You have two passes, you get away
:03:17. > :03:23.from the traffic, and if you need to pick it, there are several
:03:23. > :03:32.players who can keep it. If you are going to do that, you have to
:03:32. > :03:40.compete for it. It came from two or three players beforehand, they had
:03:40. > :03:45.the ball, they decided to run wide, and the ball bounced on the ground.
:03:45. > :03:51.I do not disagree with you. The line was not set for that. He got
:03:51. > :03:58.the ball, I do not know if anybody was calling for him to pass. There
:03:58. > :04:06.was lots of space, the passes could have gone wide. When we watched the
:04:06. > :04:11.replay of Cedric Heymans' try, who is responsible? There is a gap,
:04:11. > :04:17.they are both chasing. If Brian O'Driscoll runs to the line, it
:04:17. > :04:26.puts pressure on to the inside centre. He uses the gap, and it is
:04:26. > :04:31.a great support angle. That is pure class. The Australians are great at
:04:31. > :04:36.set play, but the French are electric, and when they get their
:04:36. > :04:39.timing and ankles like we have just seen, it is almost impossible to
:04:40. > :04:49.defend, but Brian O'Driscoll is at fault, because he put pressure on
:04:50. > :04:50.
:04:50. > :04:57.his inside right. It is the recognition of float. -- flow.
:04:57. > :05:04.pushes up and the gap opens up on the inside. The French Grand
:05:04. > :05:09.support lines differently from anyone else in the world. Everybody
:05:09. > :05:15.else runs wide. They can vary their debt, they are brilliant to watch.
:05:15. > :05:25.You can't tell what a good game it is by how animated everybody has --
:05:25. > :05:27.
:05:27. > :05:32.everybody is. Earlier, Wales beat You said before the game that you
:05:32. > :05:39.wanted to win and have a good performance. Happy with the
:05:39. > :05:48.performance? We were a bit rusty. It took us a while to gel, but we
:05:48. > :05:52.scored three tries, and we won, and they are a hard team to put away.
:05:52. > :05:57.Argentina are difficult. England and Scotland will find them tough.
:05:57. > :06:03.We are happy with the result. not a bad changing-room to be in,
:06:03. > :06:06.the boys are happy. Everybody is looking forward to the World Cup.
:06:07. > :06:12.There was a lot of pressure on us to keep it going after a great
:06:12. > :06:18.performance last week. We have done that. We can go to the World Cup
:06:18. > :06:24.full of confidence. We showed our strength in depth. Yes, food for
:06:24. > :06:29.thought in a lot of positions. There are still things for us to
:06:29. > :06:39.work on over the next few weeks before we get on the plane. Weldon
:06:39. > :06:48.
:06:48. > :06:53.The Scotland match is live on BBC Two in Scotland and on the red
:06:53. > :07:01.button. South Africa are leading New Zealand, 18-5, with 10 minutes
:07:01. > :07:08.to go. Weeks and months have gone by and we were looking forward to
:07:08. > :07:13.the Olympics, and now we are really talking about weeks and months.
:07:13. > :07:17.Testing, testing, London has been in full Test mode as we prepare for
:07:17. > :07:23.the Olympics. In a special programme tomorrow, we will bring
:07:23. > :07:33.you the action from the beach volleyball, from the road race and
:07:33. > :07:39.
:07:39. > :07:45.also prink you up to date with Much of the day will be well worth
:07:45. > :07:49.watching. -- Match Of The Day. On Monday, Martin Johnson will
:07:49. > :07:57.announce the England squad for the World Cup. Any areas where he might
:07:57. > :08:07.be losing sleep? Probably the proper situation. -- proper
:08:07. > :08:08.
:08:08. > :08:18.situation. Cole played well, but he has tapered off a little bit. Who
:08:18. > :08:28.does he take? Does he take Wilson? He has got to get that position
:08:28. > :08:50.
:08:50. > :08:55.clear. And possibly the second row, who does he take? And Mike Tindall.
:08:55. > :09:05.He is lacking power and pace at the moment. Who is the captain? Lewis
:09:05. > :09:07.
:09:07. > :09:13.Moody if he is fit. The problem he has got, picking the team, because
:09:13. > :09:19.there are questions about Number Ten. I would start with Toby Flood
:09:19. > :09:24.in the next couple of games and see how he goes, because he is Court
:09:24. > :09:29.against two stalls against Wales. If they had gone for call, they
:09:29. > :09:33.would have been comfortably leading. I would give him another chance,
:09:33. > :09:41.and I would start with Toby Flood in the World Cup, because you know
:09:41. > :09:46.what Jonny Wilkinson will brink, and he is good to beat on the bench.
:09:46. > :09:50.-- he is good to have on the bench. I would not play either of them at
:09:50. > :10:00.number 12, because they do not have the pace. Pickup crashed through,
:10:00. > :10:06.they are too similar. -- they cannot crashed through. You need
:10:06. > :10:13.the physicality at number 12. Toby Flood and Jonny Wilkinson, they
:10:13. > :10:19.will be charging down the channel. The biggest disappointment for me,
:10:20. > :10:24.Riki Flutey at his best is physical, he can hold his own, he is creative,
:10:24. > :10:30.but that is at his best, and against Wales at Twickenham, he was
:10:30. > :10:38.appalling. He was almost anonymous. Tonight, Ireland did not want to
:10:38. > :10:43.lose, because to lose three games in a Rome, and then played England,
:10:43. > :10:53.they do not want to have four in a row. It was interesting to hear
:10:53. > :10:54.
:10:54. > :10:57.their excuses after the last one. They need to play the way they
:10:57. > :11:03.played in the first 15 or 20 minutes, but they need to cut down
:11:03. > :11:10.on the simple errors. You are looking for leadership. For some of
:11:10. > :11:20.them, that is their first game. -- this is their first game. They will
:11:20. > :11:44.
:11:44. > :11:50.change from France, Fabien Barcella Poux. I will check. A stern word
:11:50. > :11:57.will have been had by Declan Kidney. He does not have to shout to be
:11:57. > :12:07.stern, you know when he is being spurned. The players know, there
:12:07. > :12:46.
:12:46. > :12:53.were probably stern words between have the scrum. A groan from
:12:53. > :12:57.Phillip Matthews. He called that pretty quickly. Andrew Trimble got
:12:57. > :13:03.the ball to ground. It looked like he had been turned by Aurelien
:13:03. > :13:09.Rougerie. It is so valuable to have the height and physicality from
:13:09. > :13:14.number 13. We have not talked about Tommy Bowe, who is still injured.
:13:14. > :13:24.We expect him to play against England next weekend. But you have
:13:24. > :13:25.
:13:25. > :13:35.David Wallace, Tommy Bowe and Rob Kearney who would make this a first
:13:35. > :14:10.
:14:10. > :14:15.they left off. France could not retain possession, they made a
:14:15. > :14:20.couple of errors. France turning that into point-scoring
:14:20. > :14:30.opportunities already. Cian Healy has spent a lot of time in paint on
:14:30. > :14:44.
:14:44. > :14:49.the turf. -- in pain. But invited particularly complicated in that.
:14:49. > :14:59.Morgan Parra had drawn the defence, but was really good play from
:14:59. > :15:01.
:15:01. > :15:04.Alexis Palisson and Louis Picamoles. Simple to do, but unexpected.
:15:04. > :15:12.grimace and a deep breath from Cian Healy, he is struggling with his
:15:12. > :15:17.neck a little bit. Stretching it out. France will take a pop at goal.
:15:17. > :15:27.When one of the front row players goes down, there is a collective
:15:27. > :15:34.
:15:34. > :15:44.about. Here is Morgan Parra, a beautiful kicker, the scrum-half. A
:15:44. > :15:57.
:15:57. > :16:07.chance to stretch the lead for left foot from that angle, and
:16:07. > :16:11.France now have an 11 point cushion. To any other coach, you would have
:16:11. > :16:17.thought consistency and wit his played that Morgan Parra has almost
:16:17. > :16:27.kicked himself into the starting 15, but you never know with the French
:16:27. > :16:53.
:16:53. > :17:03.ball away to Barcella. Keith old trying to come in on the switch --
:17:03. > :17:06.
:17:06. > :17:13.Keith Earls. O'Driscoll has been quiet for a while. Pelous ball
:17:13. > :17:20.gives the French team time to put in some big hits. -- a loose ball.
:17:20. > :17:30.It is time for a cool head. That was a top pass to take, scrappy
:17:30. > :17:39.
:17:39. > :17:42.not relish playing France, as they will in the group stages. However,
:17:42. > :17:52.Marc Lievremont may abandon all of these players and pick an entirely
:17:52. > :18:02.
:18:02. > :18:12.new team from the French second French scrum. This time become all
:18:12. > :18:30.
:18:30. > :18:36.loses it, gives Ireland the chance. Picamoles has looked affected in
:18:36. > :18:42.this match. He has mixed the errors with the playmaking as well, that
:18:42. > :18:50.is what you get with him. A big, powerful player. Ireland fortunate
:18:50. > :18:56.that France were not able to hold possession. He is an enormous Slam
:18:56. > :19:01.of a man, Picamoles. O'Driscoll was having some treatment there, but he
:19:01. > :19:03.seems to be OK, despite the worried look. Seemed to be in the general
:19:03. > :19:13.area of those neck and shoulder problems that he has been cursed
:19:13. > :19:15.
:19:15. > :19:25.changes come on. I know that Stephen Ferris is champing at the
:19:25. > :19:53.
:19:53. > :20:03.time. Ireland waiting for a penalty, Trinh-Duc, an opportunist try! --
:20:03. > :20:03.
:20:03. > :20:07.Trinh-Duc read it well. They have just handed France A seven pointer.
:20:07. > :20:13.That was a poor pass under absolutely no pressure. He really
:20:13. > :20:17.just did not have his eyes Open. In trying to recover that, they have
:20:17. > :20:22.given them seven points. Only be has been a bit patchy, made a
:20:22. > :20:26.couple of errors, and you sense that there is some rustiness, not
:20:26. > :20:30.the same intensity. They are not really match Sharpe, you would have
:20:30. > :20:35.to say, this Irish team, at the moment. It is something they need
:20:35. > :20:40.to get out of their system before they get on the plane. Not only a
:20:40. > :20:49.try conceded but another player down injured for Ireland, receiving
:20:49. > :20:55.serious treatment. Is that he and Healy? Yes. -- Kearney Healy.
:20:55. > :21:05.seemed to be his shoulder last time. Waiting in the wings, warming up,
:21:05. > :21:16.
:21:16. > :21:22.is Tom Court, the Ulster prop. A hobbling off the pitch. Through the
:21:22. > :21:27.post, another two points, but more importantly, Cian Healy, Ireland's
:21:27. > :21:37.first-choice loose-head, is hobbling off the pitch. This is how
:21:37. > :21:42.
:21:43. > :21:47.the try came about. That really was off like that. France making
:21:47. > :21:57.changes as well, of Coe's Dmitri Szarzewski, on comes we and
:21:57. > :22:01.
:22:01. > :22:07.Guirardo. -- Guilhem Guirado. Let's hope he and Healy's injury is not
:22:07. > :22:13.as bad as it looked. He was walking into the tunnel on his own without
:22:13. > :22:23.the aid of the medical staff, so maybe it is not so bad. The restart
:22:23. > :22:34.
:22:34. > :22:44.is a bit of a mess. Ends in a scrum new players on here, wait for my
:22:44. > :23:07.
:23:07. > :23:17.wait. Free kick for France. Lewis become all again. -- Luis Picamoles
:23:17. > :23:17.
:23:17. > :24:44.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 52 seconds
:24:44. > :24:52.space. A good touch finder, just by is a bit of territory. -- buys a
:24:53. > :25:02.bit. Ireland are just able now to put a little bit more pressure on
:25:03. > :25:03.
:25:03. > :25:07.France. A substitution, Eoin Reddan coming on for Tomas O'Leary.
:25:07. > :25:13.Somebody like Eoin Reddan should give Ireland a little bit of a lift
:25:13. > :25:23.now. A defensive line-out for France. It was Nicolas Mas who lost
:25:23. > :25:56.
:25:56. > :26:06.Rougerie. A fierce contest on the ground, Ireland still have it.
:26:06. > :26:06.
:26:06. > :26:48.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 52 seconds
:26:48. > :26:56.Reddin finds Keith Earls. -- Eoin a bit too far for the charging
:26:56. > :27:06.Jennings. Into touch it goes, with Medard for attention. Much better
:27:06. > :27:11.
:27:11. > :27:21.used many times successfully far Ireland. Jonathan Sexton very fond
:27:21. > :27:44.
:27:44. > :27:50.Guirado goes long. It is risky, but holding on to the ball. This, I'm
:27:50. > :28:00.sure, will not be a pop at goal. is a lot more than three points
:28:00. > :28:01.
:28:01. > :28:10.that are needed. Decision time. is going to take it. Paul O'Connell
:28:10. > :28:15.making that call. Taking the scrum. That is a good call. With Cian
:28:15. > :28:25.Healy off, France may be fancy their chances of having a pop at
:28:25. > :28:54.
:28:54. > :29:02.depth in the front row, on comes Ireland, if they are to entertain
:29:02. > :29:10.prospects of winning this match. They have the squeeze, they have
:29:10. > :29:17.the push, they will have the penalty again. France bringing in
:29:17. > :29:27.down -- bringing it down. They clearly had something in mind there
:29:27. > :29:40.
:29:40. > :29:50.with Allyn Reddin moving to the warming up there. Same again, down
:29:50. > :29:50.
:29:50. > :31:59.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 52 seconds
:31:59. > :32:07.O'Driscoll's face said it will. The ball sailed high over his head.
:32:07. > :32:11.That is a quick restart from France. They will go all the way back.
:32:11. > :32:15.need to be much more clinical than that when they create opportunities.
:32:15. > :32:22.They do not have its huge amount of time to get that out of their
:32:22. > :32:30.system. Replacements. Jerry Flannery has replaced Rory Best.
:32:30. > :32:35.Stephen Ferris is making his return, he has not played against January.
:32:35. > :32:39.He replaces Shane Jennings. Not a great day for Shane Jennings, he
:32:39. > :32:49.was trying to take his chance afforded him by the late injury to
:32:49. > :32:49.
:32:49. > :34:07.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 52 seconds
:34:07. > :34:11.David Wallace. Julien Pierre has Well struck again. France can
:34:11. > :34:16.afford to do that, sit back and take a pop at a few opportunities.
:34:16. > :34:21.They are looking pretty comfortable. They have got Ireland pinned back,
:34:21. > :34:28.they have got a very healthy lead. Ireland are not taking the chances
:34:28. > :34:32.that have been offered to them, that they have created. Alexis
:34:32. > :34:42.Palisson taking a hit from Andrew Trimble. That is a poor restored,
:34:42. > :35:15.
:35:15. > :35:22.no pressure on France. -- poor physicality of the French backs has
:35:22. > :35:27.been a real feature. I have been really strong defensively. We are
:35:27. > :35:33.well into the final quarter, Ireland have a penalty. The culprit,
:35:33. > :35:38.Fabien Barcella, the prop. It is hard going at the moment from
:35:38. > :35:46.Ireland. Francois Trinh-Duc looks to be injured. He would be the
:35:46. > :35:51.number one choice fly-half, ahead of David Skrela, I think. David
:35:51. > :35:57.Skrela was only on the field for a few minutes. Yes, he would be the
:35:57. > :36:04.first choice. In our rational minds! But what about the strange
:36:04. > :36:08.world of Marc Lievremont?! A pretty impressive French performance today.
:36:08. > :36:12.They have done well, they have weathered the first storm but
:36:12. > :36:22.Ireland put together, and they got themselves back into the game, and
:36:22. > :36:36.
:36:36. > :36:41.they had looked comfortable, captain. This will be frustrating
:36:41. > :36:47.for Stephen Ferris, he wants his hands on the ball. So far, he has
:36:47. > :36:57.not had much of a chance, and we only have 15 or 16 minutes left.
:36:57. > :37:03.
:37:03. > :37:09.Ronan O'Gara, stretching out, ready one. It will be a five-minute --
:37:09. > :37:19.five-metre line-out for Ireland. Jonathan Sexton's numbers -- days
:37:19. > :37:51.
:37:51. > :37:55.not, so the ball goes to France. Hugely frustrating for Ireland.
:37:55. > :38:02.Were the Jerry Flannery did not hear the referee or not, but
:38:02. > :38:12.everybody else heard him. He is sending Paul O'Connell off to the
:38:12. > :38:21.
:38:21. > :38:24.blood bin, not a huge amount of been the difference. Ireland have
:38:24. > :38:33.had an opportunity and they have not taken it, but France have been
:38:33. > :38:39.clinical. Is it time to get worried about Ireland? The worry is the
:38:39. > :38:45.lack of sharpness and the lack of ability to finish things off. But
:38:45. > :38:50.this is not a Six Nations Test match. There is intensity, but I
:38:50. > :38:54.expect the big players, Brian O'Driscoll, the big-game players,
:38:54. > :39:04.to be different when it comes to the World Cup. I would not be
:39:04. > :39:05.
:39:05. > :39:11.unduly concerned. A penalty for France. Tom Court is penalised. We
:39:11. > :39:15.have not seen the best of Brian O'Driscoll and Gordon D'Arcy. Brian
:39:15. > :39:21.O'Driscoll has come back after a while at, and Gordon D'Arcy after
:39:21. > :39:25.even longer. He would be more concerned if you lost your key
:39:25. > :39:33.players and you want all of your games. You want all of your key
:39:33. > :39:43.players sharp, whatever the result, and get them on the plane. Ronan
:39:43. > :39:46.
:39:46. > :39:51.That is just protecting Gordon D'Arcy. There was a doubt whether
:39:51. > :40:01.he would be fit for this. graphics said Jonathan Sexton, but
:40:01. > :40:17.
:40:17. > :40:27.something for Ireland to show in this final 15 minutes or so would
:40:27. > :40:27.
:40:27. > :42:09.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 52 seconds
:42:09. > :42:19.of a Felix Jones. -- stretcher for for the high ball, under the
:42:19. > :42:25.
:42:25. > :42:33.attention of Aurelien Rougerie. It him, he caught it in an awkward
:42:33. > :42:41.position. It was his right foot. There was a gasp from the crowd,
:42:41. > :42:49.watching on the big screen. He is not in great pain, but this could
:42:49. > :42:57.be the end of his World Cup. looks like a man who is not going
:42:57. > :43:03.to the World Cup. There is a look of resignation on his face, I hope
:43:03. > :43:09.that is not going to keep him out of selection. Luke Fitzgerald takes
:43:09. > :43:18.his place. You think back to 2003, Geordan Murphy broke his leg at
:43:18. > :43:28.Murrayfield. He is sitting up, but a broken bone in the foot would be
:43:28. > :43:33.
:43:33. > :43:43.with the injury to Rob carnet. -- Rob Kearney. He does not look happy.
:43:43. > :43:43.
:43:43. > :44:44.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 52 seconds
:44:44. > :44:54.outstanding in defence. Shades of the partnership between Stephen
:44:54. > :45:05.
:45:05. > :45:10.Clare has replaced Aurelien have been difficult for Ireland to
:45:10. > :45:20.cope with this afternoon. It was Aurelien Rougerie's first game back
:45:20. > :45:30.
:45:30. > :45:40.since May. Maxime Medard has moved world of Marc Lievremont, Rougerie
:45:40. > :45:40.
:45:40. > :48:22.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 52 seconds
:48:22. > :48:28.Sliding for the line, just short. Sexton for the line, but try is
:48:28. > :48:35.there! Ireland finally do have a second try. Something now to
:48:36. > :48:40.celebrate. It was a good support run by Jonathan Sexton, he could
:48:40. > :48:50.have been forgiven not for chasing that because Luke Fitzgerald looks
:48:50. > :48:56.
:48:56. > :49:01.like he might be able to finish a yard out. That makes the score
:49:01. > :49:05.board look better, but it is still double scores. A try which came
:49:05. > :49:15.from a chaotic passage of play when nobody seemed able to claim the
:49:15. > :49:16.
:49:16. > :49:23.ball. It is late in the game, it has been a tough, physical game. He
:49:23. > :49:27.was still up to make that ruck and win the ball. Nothing wrong with
:49:27. > :49:37.Ireland's aerobic fitness. They have been working hard, but are
:49:37. > :49:45.
:49:45. > :49:55.course he does. Ireland 11 points adrift. But the scoreboard looks at
:49:55. > :50:07.
:50:07. > :50:17.least a bit better from Ireland's a first try for Ireland from
:50:17. > :50:53.
:50:53. > :51:03.rain coming down here in Dublin. Donncha O'Callaghan is going off.
:51:03. > :51:36.
:51:36. > :51:40.indeed to Maxime Medard! A wonderful position now for France.
:51:40. > :51:50.The French back three are accomplished kickers. It is a quick
:51:50. > :51:50.
:51:50. > :52:34.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 52 seconds
:52:34. > :52:38.for places, but a big difference here today has been the sharpness
:52:38. > :52:41.this French team have had. Ireland have lacked it, I don't know if
:52:41. > :52:46.that is because a lot of the players feel they are already on
:52:46. > :52:52.the plane and do not have a lot to play for, but BBC the likes of
:52:52. > :52:59.Rougerie and his performance, -- but if you see the likes of
:52:59. > :53:03.Rougerie and his performance, they are really looking keen. Seven of
:53:03. > :53:11.this French side are making their first appearance today. Competition
:53:11. > :53:14.in France is fierce, if baffling. We spoke to Dave Ellis before, he
:53:14. > :53:24.said Marc Lievremont was pretty much there with his thoughts on the
:53:24. > :53:33.
:53:33. > :53:43.bit of a treatment to his wrist. In fact, he is going to be replaced
:53:43. > :53:48.
:53:48. > :53:58.now by Dimitri Yachvili. Another playing for Test places at this
:53:58. > :54:21.
:54:21. > :54:31.weaker. They still have the attack, and Vincent Clerc just keeping it
:54:31. > :54:52.
:54:52. > :54:59.they held that one up off the events down there. That has been a
:54:59. > :55:03.real success story today, to see him looking as fit is a really good
:55:03. > :55:12.sign. I think Declan Kidney and Paul himself will be delighted with
:55:12. > :55:22.that. There is Cian Healy. I think that is a positive side. The fact
:55:22. > :55:32.he just has ice on it, I think that is OK. Ireland, then, as we head
:55:32. > :55:45.
:55:46. > :55:55.towards the final minute, through It is Guirardo, but he is back up
:55:56. > :56:11.
:56:12. > :56:18.of the 22. Fitzgerald asking for a will be? Thoughts on the match,
:56:19. > :56:22.Philip? I think Declan Kidney, deep down, will be a little bit
:56:22. > :56:28.concerned at their lack of match sharpness, but a number of players
:56:28. > :56:32.have come through well. We have mentioned Paul O'Connell already, I
:56:32. > :56:36.don't think Brian O'Driscoll looks match-fit, but we know he can step
:56:36. > :56:41.up on the big occasion. I think the biggest his appointment is probably
:56:41. > :56:44.to see Felix Jones coming off the pitch the way he did. I think he
:56:44. > :56:48.knew the injury he picked up may well keep him out of selection.
:56:48. > :56:54.Other than that, if that is as bad as it gets, then he will probably
:56:54. > :56:57.be looking at a big improvement on their match sharpness against
:56:57. > :57:02.England. He will want to see an improvement there because he will
:57:02. > :57:12.not want to go to Australia with a game like that as the last warm-up
:57:12. > :57:18.
:57:18. > :57:28.game, because it is difficult to line-out taken by Ireland. They
:57:28. > :57:42.
:57:42. > :57:50.will not win the match, but they there. They will have to get going
:57:50. > :57:56.as soon as possible again. O'Brien barges through! O'Brien for a try!
:57:56. > :58:06.It is not going to be victory, it will still be defeat, but something
:58:06. > :58:15.
:58:15. > :58:21.to take full Ireland in these final play from a French player, I'm not
:58:21. > :58:26.sure what that was about but there was no need for it. France knew the
:58:26. > :58:29.game was won halfway through the second half, and everything Ireland
:58:29. > :58:35.did subsequently was to make the score board looked a little bit
:58:35. > :58:45.better. Maxime Medard was hanging on to the coat-tails of O'Brien,
:58:45. > :58:54.
:58:54. > :59:04.but three-man have scored their and this strange end to the game,
:59:04. > :59:07.
:59:07. > :59:11.the successful conversion from Ronan O'Gara. Just one more warm-up
:59:11. > :59:18.game remaining for Ireland, but it has been defeated game, three
:59:18. > :59:27.played so far, three losses, want to Scotland, one to France, 26
:59:28. > :59:31.A bit like the game here at the Millennium Stadium, the first half
:59:31. > :59:37.was better than the second. Do you draw any solace from the closed us
:59:37. > :59:41.of the margin? No, I don't. I think France took their foot off the
:59:41. > :59:47.pedal at the end. I enjoyed the performance of Paul O'Connell, who
:59:47. > :59:51.played very well, Sean O'Brien played very well. I was upset to
:59:51. > :59:55.see Felix Jones go down injured, he is a bit of a white hope going
:59:55. > :00:00.forward but has had a lot of injuries and his face was almost a
:00:00. > :00:05.tragedy, watching him go off the field. Morgan Stoddart two weeks
:00:05. > :00:10.ago. Everybody -- there is always somebody who has their dream
:00:10. > :00:16.shattered. Some of the players looked very rusty, but for me, I
:00:16. > :00:24.think they are better than that and I thought that the -- they
:00:24. > :00:32.The cutting edge that you need to get over the line in midfield, did
:00:32. > :00:37.you see that in the Ireland team? No, Gordon D'Arcy was poor. 9, 10,
:00:37. > :00:42.12 and 13, the midfield, the link from the forwards, the link to the
:00:42. > :00:47.back three, it did not function well. Jonathan Sexton, the last
:00:47. > :00:54.game I saw him play was against England, when he was dominant. He
:00:54. > :01:01.raised his game and delivered, he scored tries and penalties. A much
:01:01. > :01:07.of that is the service? Everything. We watch England, we have watched
:01:07. > :01:11.them struggling with possession, but they were not clear wind. With
:01:11. > :01:18.Ireland, I would like to see Deepak taking the lead from Sean O'Brien,
:01:18. > :01:23.because he made yards. He stayed on his feet, which enabled the rest of
:01:23. > :01:29.the pack to get behind him and drive through. I think Paul
:01:29. > :01:37.O'Connell was OK, but not outstanding. Jamie Heaslip played
:01:37. > :01:45.in patches, Cian Healy did OK, the scrummage was average. Offence of
:01:45. > :01:49.lit, they were poor. If you look at Cedric Heymans, he adds impact, but
:01:49. > :01:54.the full-back for Ireland, that is the attacking option, that is where
:01:54. > :01:59.the cutting-edge needs to come, and it was not there. A lot of lateral
:01:59. > :02:08.rugby, but no threat. Cedric Heymans scored at the try as half
:02:08. > :02:17.time was approaching, which gave France the cushion. It was poor
:02:17. > :02:21.centre play by Brian O'Driscoll. He runs out. He has been shown to much.
:02:21. > :02:27.The support running of the French is superb. That is why you need
:02:27. > :02:36.somebody with a brain at full-back to run those angles. The full-back
:02:36. > :02:40.is the eyes of the side on the attacking front. They also have the
:02:40. > :02:46.whole back line of the French team having an understanding of what the
:02:46. > :02:50.player will do. Whatever he does, the support players instinctively
:02:50. > :02:56.follow. It is not as though there has been a pattern of play and a
:02:56. > :03:02.set move. You see a lot of the other northern hemisphere sides do
:03:02. > :03:08.that. If we had a camera on our studio for the try at the start of
:03:08. > :03:15.the second half, Keith through his programme doubt. It was one of
:03:15. > :03:23.those moments. Yes, we talked about mistakes and not making them. This
:03:23. > :03:28.is a decent scrum, Jamie Heaslip in a decent position. Not a good pass.
:03:28. > :03:34.But that is one mistake. You do not compound it by throwing a blind
:03:34. > :03:42.pass. You of guessing where it is governed. He does not know where
:03:42. > :03:46.any of the French defensive line are. That cost them the match.
:03:46. > :03:56.France said, we are in front, we are comfortable, and they took
:03:56. > :03:57.
:03:57. > :04:01.their foot off the pedal. That try was dreadful. You cannot do that.
:04:01. > :04:08.It is error after error. When an error is made, consolidate, get the
:04:08. > :04:11.ball. That is what you said at half-time. Yes, you look to your
:04:11. > :04:17.decision makers and leaders. Scrum half is one of those positions,
:04:17. > :04:23.which you have to make 99% of your choices correctly, to get the team
:04:23. > :04:30.out of trouble or to put the team in a good position. Tomas O'Leary
:04:30. > :04:34.was very poor. Nobody stuck their hand up and said, give me the ball,
:04:34. > :04:41.except for Sean O'Brien, because they were shovelling a bad ball and
:04:41. > :04:46.nobody was taking it on board. They were putting each other under
:04:46. > :04:49.pressure, and error after error after error. But Ireland had
:04:49. > :04:56.chances, they had several opportunities, which was squandered,
:04:56. > :05:04.before the tries at the end. Yes, this is a kick. It is a great
:05:04. > :05:10.effort. It is Sean O'Brien again. Sorry, it was Jennings. He just
:05:10. > :05:16.misses. They hold the inside defence, they have got numbers, but
:05:16. > :05:24.again, what is that? Because of the way the France backs run, if that
:05:24. > :05:28.was turned around, France would have scored. They create
:05:28. > :05:33.opportunities, but you are told this in school, you run on to the
:05:33. > :05:41.past, if you take the ball into your chest, it allows the defence
:05:41. > :05:47.to go across. The passes were not executed well enough. The French
:05:47. > :05:55.defence, who are very quick, they snuffed them out. You have got to
:05:55. > :06:01.be clinical in your execution. France, fought? At times, imperious.
:06:01. > :06:05.They were back to their best. The Cedric Heymans try, you would pay
:06:05. > :06:09.money for that. That is the French side I want to see week-in, week-
:06:09. > :06:13.out. I would like to see them perform like that during the World
:06:13. > :06:19.Cup. We saw the old France in the last 30 minutes, they knew they had
:06:19. > :06:26.won, they are looking forward to the next game. Defensively, they
:06:26. > :06:33.did incredibly well. A lot of the mistakes Ireland were making, they
:06:33. > :06:41.were unforced errors, and they seemed to have numbers all the time.
:06:41. > :06:47.They played incredibly composed for the middle half of the field. They
:06:47. > :06:52.played incredibly composed. Aurelien Rougerie, he was fantastic.
:06:52. > :07:00.He was brilliant, he is a big lad. You go into the World Cup, who will
:07:00. > :07:07.he picked? Morgan Parra and Francois Trinh-Duc are half-backs.
:07:07. > :07:12.They are not scared of New Zealand. They always have one great
:07:12. > :07:22.performance in the World Cup. about the tries towards the end?
:07:22. > :07:24.
:07:24. > :07:29.Luke Fitzgerald? It was a fantastic run. Two seconds later, a great
:07:29. > :07:39.reaction, he kept the gap between the players all the way to the end.
:07:39. > :07:39.
:07:39. > :07:43.He showed a lot of composure, and Jonathan Sexton followed up. If he
:07:43. > :07:50.does not have to think about something, he is very effective. If
:07:50. > :07:54.he has to think about something, he is not effective. Give him the ball
:07:54. > :08:00.and let him do his stuff. If you have got to think about
:08:00. > :08:06.something,... He gets caught in several minds. I saw him play for
:08:06. > :08:11.Leinster with great footballing ability. Fantastic ability. He is a
:08:11. > :08:15.proper footballer, he can pass, he can play in the centre, but just
:08:15. > :08:21.before the Lions tour, during the Lions tour, he got injured. He is
:08:21. > :08:26.not the same player. It is confidence. He lost his confidence,
:08:26. > :08:31.he became over-anxious, he overran the ball, it was getting past
:08:31. > :08:37.behind him. If you are talking about confidence, Sean O'Brien
:08:37. > :08:44.seemed as though he was enjoying it. From the day he got his first
:08:44. > :08:48.jersey, he goes one way, straight over the line. You would have
:08:48. > :08:55.expected Fulgence Ouedraogo to make the tackle. He has had a great
:08:55. > :09:01.season. He has brought great ability to the Irish side. He has
:09:01. > :09:06.been up there every week. He was named the European Player of the
:09:06. > :09:13.year, of which he deserved. When players get found out and get the
:09:13. > :09:19.praise in the spotlight, people analyse the more, -- people analyse
:09:19. > :09:24.them more, and if you are burning heart, if the guy opposite you is
:09:24. > :09:33.the same size, you will take him down. Sean O'Brien runs hard every
:09:33. > :09:39.single time. It is very similar to Jenny Roberts. If he runs one of
:09:39. > :09:44.one, he will get over the gain-line. It is the same with Sean O'Brien.
:09:44. > :09:48.He will be very difficult to stop. If you have two runners either side
:09:48. > :09:58.of him, he will cause a lot of damage. There is one more match to
:09:58. > :10:08.
:10:08. > :10:18.play before everybody heads to New It is not repeated on the Sunday
:10:18. > :10:30.
:10:30. > :10:38.Scotland have gone through their It was 18-5, South Africa BT New
:10:38. > :10:43.Zealand in the Tri Nations. New Zealand did not have some of their
:10:43. > :10:53.players playing for them. Let's talk about Wales and who they have
:10:53. > :11:07.
:11:07. > :11:13.got in their grip in the World Cup. A nice easy opener! By the time
:11:13. > :11:18.they get to Fiji, I hope they have got players left on the field. The
:11:18. > :11:23.scrum is so crucial. Against South Africa, I have got to be very
:11:23. > :11:30.strong to compete, and it then, especially against Samoa and Fiji,
:11:30. > :11:34.they have got to tie them up. They cannot be lose. I have lost against
:11:34. > :11:38.them on numerous occasions, because tactically they have been so poor
:11:38. > :11:46.and they have been kicked out of the World Cup. If they do well
:11:46. > :11:52.against South Africa,... The next two Games, that is where the scrum
:11:52. > :11:57.and the line-out or pikey, because you cannot be loose. They do tend
:11:57. > :12:00.to bully you, but why can Wales not smash some of their players? You
:12:00. > :12:07.cannot be backwards against Fiji or some other, because they will
:12:07. > :12:11.thrive on it. Let's talk about the England group. If Argentina can
:12:11. > :12:17.step up from what they showed today, can cause England problems, but
:12:17. > :12:26.England will have had too many games, too good a preparation.
:12:26. > :12:32.Did you expect to learn more from the performance? There are more
:12:32. > :12:36.questions now that answers. We want to learn something in every game.
:12:36. > :12:42.There were certain areas but we wanted to work on, but the result
:12:43. > :12:50.is disappointing. That is what you are judged on. We need to learn
:12:50. > :12:56.from it today. The school was what it was, but at the same time, some
:12:56. > :13:00.of the aspects worked. The set pieces were stronger, and it shows
:13:00. > :13:10.that we need all of these games to get ready for the World Cup. It was
:13:10. > :13:25.
:13:25. > :13:29.Thank you to sue Nicholson, her last rugby programme for the BBC.