Frogs fire, then fade
9 Feb 2008
France survived a late Irish onslaught to win their Six Nations match 26-21 in Paris.
When fullback Cédric Heymans scored the hosts’ fourth try in the 48th minute for a 26-6 lead, the game appeared to be over.
However, the Irish dominated possession from then on, and were rewarded with a penalty try – albeit a controversial one. The French pack were nailed by referee Nigel Owens for collapsing a 5m scrum, but they were not going backwards and Ireland still had a lot of work to do.
A few minutes later, the visitors struck again when flanker David Wallace barged his way over. While O’Gara missed the conversion, his third penalty made it a five-point ball game with five minutes remaining.
The Irish finished the match camped inside the French 22. They took the ball through several phases before Geordan Murphy opted to kick ahead for the chasing Girvan Dempsey. However, the ball went into touch and the final whistle went.
It was a dramatic end to a game France dominated for 50 minutes.
The hosts took the lead near the end of the first quarter when they turned over possession inside their half and scrumhalf Jean-Baptiste Elissalde kicked into the left corner. Vincent Clerc, who came into the side as a late replacement, comfortably won the race to the ball.
Ronan O’Gara got Ireland on the board with a penalty, only for David Skrela to break through the defence and pass to Clerc, who scored his second try in five minutes.
O’Gara again reduced the deficit to six with another penalty, but France struck again just before half-time when Heymans glided into space and put Clerc away for his hat-trick and a 19-6 lead.
It was another kick from Elissalde, this time a grubber, that seemed to have put the result beyond doubt soon after the break. The ball bounced off Brian O’Driscoll and into the hands of Heymans, who dotted down under the posts.
However, the Irish weren’t done yet, and their two tries set up a thrilling finale.
France – Tries: Vincent Clerc (3), Cédric Heymans. Conversions: Jean-Baptiste Elissalde (2).
Ireland –Tries: Penalty try, David Wallace. Conversion: Ronan O’Gara. Penalties: O’Gara (3).
116 Comments
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10 Feb 2008, 10:54 am
I started this Voice thingy and suddenly its taking all my time, money and energy! But its very exciting!
I played last year but missed a few rounds so did not do great shakes!
10 Feb 2008, 11:00 am
“Voice thingy” ? What is this ?
Any excuse eh ? We should compare results each Monday
10 Feb 2008, 11:00 am
Click on my nick!
10 Feb 2008, 11:17 am
That looks interesting, I can see how it would be time consuming.
10 Feb 2008, 11:19 am
Princess
Yip its consuming it all! My beer account has also sky-rocketed! He he
10 Feb 2008, 11:21 am
Your beer account ? That would account for your spelling
10 Feb 2008, 11:27 am
Still awaiting the fly-past of our first Boeing!
10 Feb 2008, 11:29 am
Que ?
10 Feb 2008, 11:33 am
The boeing flies past at 12 then we open our cervejas/beers!
10 Feb 2008, 11:36 am
“the Boeing” ? You have only the one ? That reminds me of flying domestically in Zimbabwe
10 Feb 2008, 11:40 am
Ok have to go! Got 20 minutes to shower before beer no1 and then a braai!
Speak later Princess!
10 Feb 2008, 12:28 pm
Trupi julle het my nou weer na Langenhoven laat Google, die ou was baie goed met woorde ek kan die hele dag sy spreuke en gesegdes lees. Sy manier van dinge oordra was briljant.
“Dit betéken nie altyd veel om ‘n man van belang te wees nie. Die belangrikste persoon op ‘n begrafnis is die dooi man”
10 Feb 2008, 14:01 pm
What do you guys think of these two suggested sets of 22 players for De Villiers to draw from when compiling his squad?
1 Steenkamp 2 Smit 3 BJ Botha 4 B Botha 5 Matfield 6 Burger 7 Smith 8 Spies 9 Du Preez 10 James 11 Habana 12 De Villiers 13 Fourie 14 Pieterson 15 Montgomery 16 Van Der Linde 17 B Du Plessis 18 Rossouw 19 Van Heerden 20 January 21 Steyn 22 J Pretorius
No new caps.
1 Van Der Merwe 2 Ralepelle 3 J Du Plessis 4 Bekker 5 Muller 6 Watson 7 Lobberts 8 Kankowski 9 Pienaar 10 Grant 11 Jacobs 12 Barrit 13 Murray 14 O Ndungane 15 Jantjes 16 Mujati 17 R Strauss 18 Skeate 19 Van Niekerk 20 Kockott 21 Bobo 22 Chavhanga
Seven new caps.
10 Feb 2008, 15:23 pm
They should go back to the old trials system
Pick say 50 possibles from old stalwarts and new potentials and pick couple teams and let them play against each other more than a couple of times, alternating combinations, that way see who’s best and on form in position and mold a team around that.
10 Feb 2008, 15:27 pm
Mind you,the french team which were fielded yesterday were by no mean France’s first team.
There is in my opinion France’s first team:
15-Poitrenaud
14-Heymans(he was great yesterday at fullback but his natural and best position still remains winger)
13-Fritz
12-Jauzion
11-Clerc
10-Michalak(with the new brand of rugby France are playing under Lievremont and N’Tamack,he would totally enjoy himself)
9-Elissalde
8-Bonnaire/vermeulen
7-Dusautoir
6-Nyanga
5-Jacquet
4-Nallet
3-Milloud
2-Szwarzieski
1-Emanuelli
10 Feb 2008, 15:49 pm
typical french
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