Not only did the French end Ireland’s ten-game winning streak at home in the Championship – their longest at home – but also their hopes of a Grand Slam.
The hosts lost talismanic wing James Lowe to injury in the warm-up, but nonetheless started brightly against Les Bleus.
Ireland’s first real shot came in the fifth minute when, with France under serious pressure on their own tryline, Caelan Doris sought to dive in for a try, only to be held up by opposite number Grégory Alldritt. It was the start of a breathtaking first act at the Aviva Stadium.
Ill-discipline was creeping in from France, and that man Doris won a penalty at a ruck that allowed Sam Prendergast to go for the three points with his first kick of the match – only to see his attempt hit the upright.
Completely against the run of play in the 13th minute, France appeared to have scored a sensational breakaway try from captain Antoine Dupont, only for it to be brought back for a knock-on in the build-up. The scoreline remained 0-0, but already the entertainment levels in Dublin were high.
France were on the defensive for long periods in the first quarter, but showing no let-up as the Irish came at them again and again. They had their best chance with the clock approaching 40 minutes, when the assisting Thomas Ramos was cynically pulled back by Joe McCarthy as Louis Bielle-Biarrey made a dangerous break into the Irish 22.
The Irish second row received a yellow card, and France now had a lineout deep in the Ireland’s half. From there, the formidable French pack ground through the gears towards the try line. Dupont then spun the ball to Bielle-Biarrey for the winger’s to canter in for his seventh try of this year's Championship.
Ramos, now at fullback with Ntamack returned from his ban, failed with his conversion attempt: 0-5.
If losing Lowe was a blow for Ireland, then for France fans watching Dupont limp off half an hour into the match was cataclysmic. On came Maxime Lucu to fill the boots of the world’s greatest player. No pressure.
When back rower Paul Boudehent tackled Irish lock Tadhg Beirne off the ball with fewer than ten minutes remaining in the first half, it allowed Prendergast to finally get the points going for Ireland: 3-5.
Less than a minute later, referee Angus Gardner blew his whistle after the French restart when Andrew Porter obstructed the chasing Damian Penaud. Ramos cancelled out Prendergast’s points with three of his own: 3-8.
The Leinster playmaker got his chance once again with the clock in the red with a penalty bang on halfway and a more or less central position. He struck it powerfully to make it a two-point game going into the changing rooms.
The statisticians showed that Ireland hadn’t defeated France in Dublin after trailing at half-time since 1928 – losing 10 of the 11 games since then when they had trailed at the break – but having defied a similar historical hoodoo in London in round one, Simon Easterby’s team had cause for optimism.
The hosts got off to the perfect start in the second half as Dan Sheehan broke off the back of a maul on the French 5m line to become the highest try-scoring forward in the Guinness Men’s Six Nations. Prendergast’s touchline conversion was magnificent: 13-8.
Ireland were hit by a second yellow card, this time to Calvin Nash for a head-on-head tackle that forced midfielder Pierre-Louis Barassi to depart for an HIA. It meant young back rower Oscar Jegou came onto the pitch to line up at centre – a huge ask against the experience of the Irish midfield.
Very few teams can score a try involving two consecutive out-of-the-back offloads at Test-match level. France are one of them, and the first came from loosehead Jean Baptiste-Gros, and the second from Lucu, the latter taken by Boudehent for the try. Ramos added the extras to give France a two-point lead with over 30 minutes left to play.
If France’s last try seemed irresistible, their next one was simply mind-blowing. Turning Ireland over inside the visitors’ half, France took instant advantage of the diminished numbers in the middle of the field. Bielle-Biarrey took the ball on an arcing line before kicking back infield, then beating his own teammate, Lucu, to touch down. Conversion taken by Ramos, it was now 13-22.
Make that 13-25, as Ramos kicked a penalty just moments later to add even more wind to France’s sails. Then, with Ireland back to a full complement as Nash returned, Galthié’s team were positively cruising ahead as the 21-year-old Jegou powered over for his first international try – and with it, France’s bonus point.
On 66 minutes, Ireland failed to release at a ruck in an eminently kickable position for Ramos, which was all the Toulouse fullback needed to extend France’s lead to 22 points.
Just over ten minutes remained when Cian Healy and Conor Murray took to the field to join Peter O’Mahony for their final home appearance for their country. Their former teammate Andrew Conway wrote in his Six Nations column during the week: “Sport can be cruel sometimes, because you don’t always get what you think you deserve – particularly when you’ve got legends bowing out.” So it was proving in Dublin, but no result here would take away from the trio’s achievements.
France must have thought they were dreaming when Ramos intercepted a Prendergast pass on the visitors’ 5m line to race away. Prendergast chased hard, however, so the fullback passed to the man with the wheels, Penaud, to finish the job. Breathing hard, Ramos converted: 13-42.
Cian Healy at least got to sign off with a try with a powerful burst that rolled back the years for the 37-year-old prop. There was some cause for celebration for replacement Jack Conan, who scored on his 50th Test appearance.
France could have been forgiven for completely switching off by this point. This was, after all, a potential title-deciding match that had truly lived up to the billing.