Six Nations: France 30-24 Ireland - hosts take control of championship with heavyweight win

France are the only side undefeated in the Six Nations after the opening two rounds

France cemented their position as Six Nations favourites by holding off Ireland in a pulsating heavyweight encounter in Paris.

The hosts led by 15 points early in the second half but Ireland roared back with quickfire tries from Josh van der Flier and Jamison Gibson-Park.

Cyril Baille responded for France before Joey Carbery's penalty reduced the Irish deficit to three.

However Melvyn Jaminet's sixth penalty helped France see out a crucial win.

Billed as a meeting between the northern hemisphere's two form sides - and favourites for this year's title - the relentlessly physical spectacle did not disappoint.

Ireland, who gave a far better account of themselves in the second half after an ill-disciplined opening 40 minutes, taste defeat for the first time in 10 matches as their 12-month winning run comes to an end against the side to have last beat them a year ago.

• Farrell praises Ireland's 'fight' despite defeat in Paris

Irish penalties prove costly in frantic first half

The consensus during the game's build-up was that regardless of the result the contest was unlikely to disappoint as a spectacle given the form of both teams.

Within 10 minutes the capacity crowd at the Stade de France had gained full value for money with 17 points scored in the ferocious opening exchanges.

Antoine Dupont's decision to take a quick line-out in the first minute immediately set the tempo for a frantic contest, and France's determination to keep the ball moving paid off instantly as Romain Ntamack found Dupont with a sublime inside offload for the scrum-half to scamper home.

Having coughed up a penalty which Jaminet duly converted, Ireland found themselves in a situation they had not been in for two years: on the back foot against a team bang in form with a partisan crowd to match.

Their response was magnificent if somewhat unconventional as wing Mack Hansen, on just his second appearance, capitalised on a moment of indecision from Jaminet to collect Carbery's restart on the full and sprint into the corner.

After an astonishing opening salvo the contest did eventually find some rhythm, with frightening French line-speed halting Ireland in their tracks, while the visitors' strong tackling kept France largely at bay.

Much of the credit for Ireland's winning run had been directed towards the transformation of Andy Farrell's pack, who had bulldozed recent opposition and dominated the ruck. However in Paris they found themselves up against an entirely different animal.

France targeted the ruck and took control of the battleground as Ireland coughed up eight penalties before half-time.

Jaminet's accuracy with the boot saw France capitalise on those errors and gradually edge away from the visitors, opening up a 19-7 lead by the interval.

Improved Irish fight back

Faced with a multiple-score deficit Ireland knew any chance of a comeback relied upon putting an immediate stop to their climbing penalty count.

Just four minutes after the restart Jaminet was given another chance from the tee with Ireland caught offside on a kick chase, and the French full-back gladly extended his side's lead to 15.

Ireland, without injured captain Johnny Sexton, needed an immediate response and to their credit they produced just that to haul themselves back into the contest in a blistering five-minute spell.

First Carbery, who delivered an assured performance at fly-half in Sexton's absence, kicked them deep into the French 22 allowing the forwards to form a maul from which Van der Flier split to score the visitors' second try.

When Gibson-Park sniped through a gap at the fringe of a ruck just minutes later France's lead had been reduced to a solitary point.

France were shaken but did not flinch from their gameplan, and struck back with a monstrous counter-ruck that dislodged the ball in Ireland's 22 with prop Baille reacting quickest to gather and charge over.

Ireland will be left to rue small moments that they let slip by in a game in which they never held the lead. Having found themselves with a line-out in France's 22 after a magnificent 50:22 kick by lock Tadhg Beirne of all people, they spilled the ball and allowed the hosts to exit.

Carbery kicked Ireland to within three points with eight minutes remaining, but France were able to see out the game in the right areas of the pitch - with Jaminet only denied a late try by a brilliant scrambling defensive effort from Dan Sheehan.

However the move was brought back for an earlier Irish infringement allowing Jaminet to send an easy penalty through the posts and secure the win.

Ireland: Keenan; Conway, Ringrose, Aki, Hansen; Carbery, Gibson-Park; Porter, Kelleher, Furlong, Beirne, Ryan (c), Doris, Van der Flier, Conan.

Replacements: Sheehan, Healy, Bealham, Henderson, O'Mahony, Murray, Carty, Henshaw.

France: Jaminet; Penaud, Fickou, Moefana, Villiere; Ntamack, Dupont; Baille, Marchand, Atonio, Woki, Willemse, Cros, Jelonch, Alldritt.

Replacements: Mauvaka, Gros, Bamba, Taofifenua, Flament, Cretin, Lucu, Ramos.