Compiled by GAVIN CUMMISKEY
3 NICOLAS MAS
World-class operator and while he couldn’t obliterate Healy at scrum time, was visible in the tight exchanges.
6/10
15 CLEMENT POITRENAUD
One moment of lightning quick feet exposed Trimble and had the Ireland defence reeling. It led to Fofana’s try a few phases later.
6/10
1 JEAN BAPTISTE POUX
No matter how hard he twisted the screw was unable to make Mike Ross yell uncle”. In Paris against an Ireland scrum, that’s a failure in French terms.
5/10
11 JULIEN MALZIEU
Never got a gallop up until the 83rd minute when Kearney heroically guided him over the touchline. Otherwise anonymous. No game for a winger.
5/10
10 FRANCOIS TRINH-DUC
Pointlessly targeted Kearney early on. Magic hands in broken play punished Ireland, especially for Fofana’s try, but made some shocking decisions off structured possession.
5/10
4 PASCAL PAPE
Usual bullying tactics don’t carry much weight against Munster locks but ran hard to draw a penalty off Pearson on 57 minutes for Parra to make it 17-all.
6/10
12 WESLEY FOFANA
Quiet, but only needed one opportunity to streak away for a well-taken try. Lethal finisher that not even Kearney could haul down.
7/10
9 MORGAN PARRA
Missed a few kicks and unable to be the playmaker in the face of immense Irish aggression. Yachvili remains the primary French number nine.
6/10
14 VINCENT CLERC
After the damage he’s inflicted on Ireland in the past, they’ll never let him roam free again. Battered early on by Healy and then Earls.
5/10
2 DMITRI SZARZEWSKI
Physical enough to have reversed the situation with Servat as starting hooker and it was evident why in the first half.
6/10
THE BENCH
Surprisingly, the front five arrivals didn’t hurt Ireland. Beauxis’s drop goals were terrible and ill-judged.
5/10
6 THIERRY DUSAUTOIR
Always brilliant at embracing lone ball carriers. Does all the work of an O’Connell yet more even due to his immense power and something indescribable. Seemed to enjoy the challenge presented by Ferris, O’Brien and Heaslip.
8/10
8 IMANOL HARINORDOQUY
Like the others, unable to show his marvellous athleticism as too busy counteracting and counter-rucking the devilish Irish backrowers.
7/10
7 JULIEN BONNAIRE
A lineout banker and step behind Dusatoir or Harinordoquy throughout, whether it be cleaning out or performing the necessary grunt carries.
6/10
13 AURELIAN ROUGERIE
Displayed poor judgment in midfield throwing a wild pass to gift Bowe the first try. Well below his usual standard.
5/10
5 YOANN MAESTRI
A beast of a man, the ruck fractures when he arrives and increasingly influential in set play, where he disrupted the O’Connell-Best partnership.
7/10
