Hopes that the U-20s might lift the gloom at the end of a tough week for Irish rugby never looked like materialising in Perpignan and a hammering from the reigning Six Nations champions has only added to the woe.
Eight tries to three leaves no doubt about the dominance of the French even if there were some good passages of play from Andrew Browne’s side, but the reality is that the home side should have had several more tries.
The scale of the defeat leaves Ireland, who finished bottom of the table last season, again in the basement position, with an inferior points difference to an Italian side they will meet in Cork next week.
The incessant French pressure led to yellow cards for Ireland’s No.8 Diarmaid O’Connell and centre James O’Leary in either half and hopes of a boost after the defeat by Andy Farrell’s side on Thursday and the hammering dished out to the second string side by England A in Thomond Park, never looked likely.
France, with most of their side having Top 14 or ProD2 game time under their belt, controlled matters for the bulk of the game against an Irish side who could not match that experience with only the likes of Tom Wood, who made his Munster debut last week, and Daniel Ryan, who got a run for Connacht before Christmas, Ireland trailed 31-14 at the break despite a decent start where their solid scrum and a couple of lineout steals from Donnacha McGuire gave them a platform.
But it was the French who hit the front after both sides had failed to get anything from penalties to the corner with centre Adrien Drault scoring after a neat kick from outhalf Luka Keletaona was fed back inside by winger Melvyn Rates.
Ireland hit back from the restart with Josh Neill, the South African native who is in the Leinster academy, blocked down a clearance from Nolhann Couillaud, gathered, fended off a tackle and sent his scrumhalf Christopher Barrett over in the right corner for the first of his tries. Tom Wood converted from the right but that was the only time they led in the game.
France’s pace out wide stretched the Irish defence and the champions punished them with three tries without reply as they took control of the game with scores prop Reuben Pargade, flanker Romeo Bonnard and replacement scrumhalf Antoine Latrasse to lead 24-7 after half an hour.
Ireland’s shape was good and a patient, multi-phase drive off a lineout yielded a try for Neill three minutes from the break, but they coughed up a fifth try with the clock in the red when loosehead Matheo Frisach scored off a lineout to lead 31-14 at the interval.
He had a try scratched on review after the restart before Barrett sniped over and Wood’s third conversion cut the margin to ten points after 49 minutes.
But that was as close as Ireland got. France just took over and the margin of defeat would have been even greater had Neill, Billy Hayes and Derry Moloney not prevented French players from grounding the ball after getting over.
Ireland never looked like getting the fourth try for the bonus point and it was France who finished strongly with three unanswered tries in the closing 28 minutes.
Scorers: France: Tries: A Drault, M Frisach, R Pargade, R Bonnard, A Latrasse, M Rates, L Andjisseramatchi, M Marzullo. Cons: L Keletaona (5).
Ireland: Tries: C Barrett (2), J Neill. Cons: T Wood (3).
France: A Guillaud (G Kretchmann 55); D Cazemajou, A Drault, Q Valentino, M Rates; L Keletaona (J Senga Kouo 71), N Couillaud (A Latrasse 15); M Frisach (L Couturier 52), Y Basses (L Gil 59), R Pargade, B Veschanbre, N Punti (A Portat 38-41, 64); M Marzullo, R Bonnard, T Keletaona (L Andjisseramatchi 55).
Ireland: N Byrne; D Moloney, J O’Sullivan, J O’Leary, D Ryan; T Wood (C O’Shea 64), C Barrett (F Callington 74); M Doyle (C Foley 55), R Handley (D Maguire 54), S Bishi (B McClean 55); D McNeice, D McGuire (J Finn 54); J Neill, B Hayes (B Blaney 54), D O’Connell.
Referee: Christopher Allison (South Africa).
