Ireland 24
France 9
Battered and bruised, Ireland have sent out a serious statement of intent after crushing the French challenge for top spot in a fierce battle at the Millennium Stadium this evening.
Second half tries from Rob Kearney and Conor Murray proved enough for the Boys in Green to power past a physical French side.
What made this performance so special was how it was done without key players on the pitch, with Johnny Sexton and Paul O'Connell both having to go off in the opening half, and then the outstanding Peter O'Mahony and Keith Earls in the second.
It was an incredible team performance and Ireland's intensity levels never dropped throughout the game, and it showed as they made a mockery of the French scrum in the dying stages.
Ireland's good fortune with injuries came to an end earlier this week as Jared Payne was ruled out of the tournament and now Sexton, O'Connell, O'Mahony and Earls all face a fight to be fit for next Sunday, while Sean O'Brien can expect to hear from the citing commissioner.
Ah Sean - no https://t.co/NSQxtFITLs
— Richie McCormåck (@RichieMcCormack) October 11, 2015
Ireland controlled the second half, but it was backs to the wall stuff for much of the opening 40 as they took a slender 9-6 lead in at the break.
Sexton opened Ireland's account with a penalty, before Scott Spedding finally got France off the mark after two previous attempts, with a strike of his own from the halfway point.
It was an extremely tense affair in the opening quarter and Sexton landed another kick before Spedding leveled it up again with another monster penalty from inside own half.
Disaster struck shortly afterwards as Louis Picamoles' heavy tackle ended the Irish out-half's game.
Ian Madigan came in and stepped up to the mark immediately as he slotted a penalty from 43m in the 28th minute.
It could have been better for Ireland as a clever reverse pass from Madigan sent Tommy Bowe racing clear with Earls in support, but the Munsterman couldn't hold the pass with the tryline begging.
Ireland withstood a French onslaught as the clock ticked towards 40' but O'Connell went down after awkwardly twisting his knee, resulting in him being stretchered off. Speaking in the post match interview, Joe Schmidt said that he will go for a scan tomorrow but the outlook is bleak.
Iain Henderson came in for the iconic lock and put in an incredible performance as Ireland went on the front foot early in the second. Robbie Henshaw was excellent in the centre and his break left Wesley Fofana for dead as he brought play closer to the try line.
A French knock-on brought about an Irish scrum five metres out and after Bowe went close, Rob Kearney went one better, barging over Freddie Michalak on his way to the line. The Millennium Stadium erupted.
A Morgan Parra penalty kept Les Bleus in touch in the 63rd minute but Ireland were in control as France rarely threatened the Irish line, and when they got close O'Brien, Henderson and Rory Best were there to stop them in their tracks.
Ireland sealed top spot after Conor Murray's quick thinking saw him touch down at the base of the post and it was party time in the Millennium. Madigan converted and added another penalty in the 75th minute to put Ireland out of sight as 'The Fields of Athenry' echoed around the stadium.
1 - @ConorMurray_9 is the first #IRE scrum-half to score a #RWC try against a Tier One Nation. Nous.
— OptaJonny (@OptaJonny) October 11, 2015
France came in search of a consolation score but the clocked ticked into the red as they knocked on, which brought about euphoric scenes.
It was a magnificent performance from a side that was decimated of its big name players, and now they have a quarter-final date with Argentina on Sunday, while Les Bleus will clash with the All-Blacks on Saturday in what will be a repeat of the 2011 World Cup final.
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