Irish Rugby

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Ireland prop Cian Healy says it was nice to score a try on his final home game despite losing 42-27 to France in the Six Nations showdown on Saturday.

The Aviva Stadium defeat ended Ireland's Grand Slam hopes and along with England's win over Italy on Sunday means they have dropped from first to third place before next week's final game against the Italians.

Leinster front-row Healy, along with fellow Ireland stalwarts Peter O'Mahony and Conor Murray, will retire from international rugby after the Rome encounter.

Healy came on as a replacement against France and went over for a late try on an emotional occasion for the 37-year-old.

"Nice [scoring a try], that's about all. It would have been nicer if we were a bit closer in the fight," said Ireland's most-capped player.

"It was good, it was enjoyable at times. It was nice to be on the bench and have the opportunity to compose myself a bit after the anthems. That was tough.

"Just pride, just enjoying singing it here, the last opportunity to do it. I had to go in and wash my face and come back to neutral after that."

Healy added that there was disappointment in the dressing room after trailing by just two points at the break before France ran out comfortable winners in Dublin.

"Everyone's fairly upset about that. We had bigger plans and bigger intentions for that game but it was a hell of a battle.

"Watching on in that first 30 minutes was very intense and I thought we had points where we had them on the ropes and bodies were starting to tire and our lads looked alright, but I suppose we didn't capitalise on it."

Andy Gray
BBC Sport NI journalist

France head coach Fabien Galthie fears captain Antoine Dupont sustained a "serious" knee injury against Ireland in the Six Nations.

Dupont, 28, was forced off in the first half of France's dominant 42-27 win over holders Ireland.

Ireland second row Tadhg Beirne fell on Dupont's leg at a ruck and the scrum-half was helped off the pitch in Dublin after receiving treatment.

Galthie said there was "anger" in the French camp over the incident, which was not referred to the television match official (TMO) during the game.

Both Dupont and Gregory Alldritt, who took over as French captain, were heard questioning referee Angus Gardner over a possible review of the incident.

Galthie said Dupont was "suffering" and that he has referred Ireland pair Beirne and Andrew Porter to the citing commissioner for possible retrospective punishment.

France are waiting to learn the full extent of the injury but fear it is likely to result in a lengthy absence.

"We're suspecting something serious," Galthie said.

Dupont was attempting to steal the ball in the 28th minute and was challenged by Beirne, who then fell on to the scrum-half's right leg as Irish prop Porter joined the ruck.

"We named the players [who made contact with Dupont], Tadhg Beirne and Andrew Porter, who should appear before the disciplinary commission," Galthie added.

"We want explanations, so we've named two players. We have to protect our players. There are means, there are rules. There is some kind of anger."

France held a narrow 8-6 lead at half-time but overwhelmed the defending champions in the second half and are now favourites to win the title next weekend.

"When I return to the dressing room and I see one of my best friends looking like that, it tears up one's insides," said Alldritt.

"It is difficult to talk about. However, it added a bit of fire to our bellies for the second half."

Galthie also said he would be citing Irish wing Calvin Nash, who replaced the injured James Lowe just before kick-off, for a second-half tackle that led to France centre Pierre-Louis Barassi leaving the pitch with concussion.

Nash was sin-binned but the offence was not judged to be worthy of a red card.

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Ireland interim head coach Simon Easterby said the injury to Dupont, who was replaced by Maxime Lucu, came after a "rugby incident".

"Tadhg [Beirne] cleans out someone in front of Antoine Dupont and he gets hit on the back of it. It happens, unfortunately," said Easterby.

"We have moved away and players have a real awareness now of clearing out on the lower limb of the player, which can create that type of injury that might have happened today, but that wasn't the case.

"He was securing his own ball and not making contact on Dupont. Unfortunately that happens. The guy that Tadhg hit was hit on to Dupont. It's just one of those things unfortunately. It happens in the game."

Championship leaders France play Scotland in Paris on Saturday and are in pole position to claim a record-equalling seventh Six Nations title, while Ireland will look to bounce back against Italy in Rome.

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Ireland lock Joe McCarthy says taking on France brings a "big game feeling" as the pair prepare for their latest Six Nations meeting on Saturday afternoon (14:15 GMT).

The sides have finished in the top two spots of the table in each of the past three seasons and are once again vying for the title this year as they meet in round four at the Aviva Stadium this weekend.

Ireland were crowned champions the past two years with France the winners in 2022.

"Every week in the Six Nations is massive but this one, some games feel extra special," McCarthy said.

"France, how well they've been going, how strong on the side they are, there's that bit of extra big game feeling about this."

Ireland have won the past two meetings between the sides, with France victorious in the three before that.

"We've looked a lot at France's strengths because I feel like you really have to respect them as a team," McCarthy added.

"They have a lot of threats across the board so you really have to get all over that."

McCarthy will start alongside Tadhg Beirne in Ireland's second row for the second game in succession after they previously paired together in the victory over Wales in Cardiff last time out.

The Leinster lock missed the first two games of the championship with concussion after an incident in training, ending the 23-year-old's streak of 11 consecutive starts.

"I took a bit of a head bang so I was sitting out for 12 days after that," he said.

"It didn't look great the next few days. My left eye looked like it got stung by a bee.

"I went into Shelbourne [Hotel] the day after and a fan was like, 'Can I get a photo with you?' They looked at me like, 'Oh jeez, maybe we'll leave it for today'".

McCarthy added it was "tough" to miss out on the wins over England and Scotland last month.

"It was frustrating but that does happen in rugby a lot.

"You're kind of geared up to play and felt in a good spot to play, but it's tough.

"You can't really prepare too far ahead for things because you never know what happens in rugby."

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Ireland prop Finlay Bealham says it does not "feel real" that he will win his 50th Test cap in the Six Nations meeting with France on Saturday (14:15 GMT)

The Connacht tight-head will start the game in the continued absence of Tadhg Furlong and becomes the 58th Irish player to earn a half century of caps.

Skipper Caelan Doris and, should he come off the bench, Jack Conan will also hit the milestone against Les Bleus.

"It would be an incredible honour for me," said Bealham.

"I've been in the group for a while now and seen the calibre of players that have got 50 caps in.

"I suppose to reach that milestone myself, it doesn't really feel real, but it's something I'll obviously be really proud of."

Bealham's parents are flying in from Australia for the occasion, while his wife and son will also be in attendance, with the 33-year-old expecting his family to "go bananas" when he is introduced to the Aviva Stadium crowd.

"There was probably a time where I was like, 'Jeez, I'm even going to get 10 caps' and then you kind of get to 10 and you're like, 'Look, I'll just try and get to 20' and then fast forward now, on the verge of getting 50, like I said, it's really special," he added.

Bealham made his Test debut against Italy in the 2016 Six Nations but did not start a game in the competition until 2023.

Becoming more of a regular after Andrew Porter's switch to loose-head, he says it took six years for him to "feel a real part of the group" with Ireland.

"I don't know if I've ever felt 100% comfortable as it were, but I definitely feel from probably that moment on, I felt a real part of the group and I knew what was expected of me, what I expected of myself and how I fit into what we're trying to do.

"If I had to guess, I'd say it'd be around then, but you're always evolving and trying to get better in it."

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Ireland interim boss Simon Easterby has backed fly-half Sam Prendergast to put "a few question marks" around his defending "to bed" in Saturday's Six Nations match against France.

Prendergast, 22, has impressed in the Irish attack in wins over England, Scotland and Wales, but has also missed a tournament-high 15 tackles.

Easterby says Prendergast is "fully aware" of the need to "step up" in that area as Ireland prepare to a France side that have scored 21 tries in three games.

"I think at times he's been excellent and put some real good shots in and at times he's missed a couple," said Easterby.

"He's working incredibly hard at figuring out lots of things in his game, trying to be the best 10 he can be and the best 10 that can create opportunities in attack but also understands and values the other side of the ball."

Easterby added: "That's part and parcel of his growth as a player, making sure he understands how important both sides of the ball are.

"We've certainly had conversations around it across the championship, not just after the Wales game, but he's fully aware of the need for him to step up in that area and I'm sure we'll see a physical side to Sam at the weekend that will maybe put a few question marks to bed."

Prendergast will face returning France fly-half Romain Ntamack, who partners Antoine Dupont at half-back after missing the England and Italy games through suspension.

"He has an all-court game in terms of his kicking, his ability at the line and his passing," said Easterby.

"But we've got a couple of pretty special ones ourselves in Sam and Jack Crowley.

"It's probably a little sub-plot that will go a long way towards the success of either team, how the two 10s that start the game manage it and how they control the game in the areas of the pitch we play.

"It's an interesting dynamic and one I know Sam is looking forward to challenging himself against."

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Jamie Osborne says he is "confident" playing in any position for Ireland in Saturday's Six Nations game with France.

Osborne was named at full-back in place of Hugo Keenan in Ireland's win over Wales but has also featured at centre or the wing.

The 23-year-old bounced back from a nervy start in Cardiff to score a crucial try as Simon Easterby's side edged a tight contest.

"It definitely helps I've played a couple of positions," Osborne said.

"I'd be confident in any place I end up going. If you do your role well and perform well then the coaches will see that.

"When the team performance goes well I think everyone benefits from that."

The game with Antoine Dupont's France in Dublin has been billed as a potential title decider.

The hosts are unbeaten and aiming for an unprecedented three Six Nations championships in a row while France can take control of the tournament with victory in Dublin, which could move them to the top of the table ahead of the final round of fixtures.

"It's a huge challenge but everyone is looking forward to it," Osborne added.

"We know how strong they are and we have to be at our best to beat them."

While Ireland had moments of difficulty in Cardiff last time out, Osborne said the team "will learn from it" ahead of the game with France.

"The first half wasn't how we wanted it to go. There were a lot of errors, including from myself, but we bounced back from being five points down with a man in the bin, we managed to get back into the game.

"Probably not the game we were expecting to play before the game but we put pressure back on them. I think we learnt a lot about ourselves in the second half."

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Ireland scrum coach John Fogarty says the prospect of France choosing seven forwards on their bench in Saturday's Six Nations meeting will not change their own selection plan much.

The Springboks became the first tier-one side to adopt the 7-1 bench split during preparations for the 2023 World Cup, later doing so at the tournament in the pool stages against Ireland.

France adopted the tactic against Italy in the Six Nations last month and could do so again in Dublin this weekend when the top two in the championship go head to head.

"They've a lot of faith in their backs to stay fit. We know they interchange their backs and they've got some very useful forwards, so you understand it," said Fogarty.

"Were they trying it out for us? Maybe, I don't know, we're not too sure.

"It doesn't change our plan a huge amount. We haven't overly discussed it."

Fogarty said Ireland have "a lot of confidence" in their own "very fit group of forwards" and would not consider doing similar for fear of injuries disrupting their plans.

"It would spook us. It's something we wouldn't do," he added.

"They feel they can cover positions. They probably feel they have some forwards who can cover the backs as well.

"It does happen in a game, you lose players and it becomes difficult to play your game the way you want to play it. We haven't really gone there much."

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On Monday, the Six Nations published the written reasons for Ireland centre Garry Ringrose's three-match suspension.

Ringrose was handed a three-game ban following his red card against Wales for a high tackle on Ben Thomas.

Ringrose's ban came after the mid-range entry point of a six week/match suspension was reduced by 50% taking into account his guilty plea and previous disciplinary record.

He will miss Saturday's Six Nations match against France. A further game will be taken off should Ringrose complete World Rugby's Coaching Intervention Programme.

Significantly, Ringrose's suspension included Leinster's United Rugby Championship win over Cardiff on Saturday, so if he completes the coaching intervention programme, he will be available for Ireland's final Six Nations game against Italy on 15 March.

The Leinster game being included in the ban has caused some confusion. Earlier in the tournament, France fly-half Romain Ntamack was handed a two-game ban following his red card against Wales.

Ntamack's suspension, however, covered France's Six Nations fixtures against England and Italy, but not Toulouse's Top 14 encounter with Clermont, which took place during a Six Nations fallow week (like Leinster's game with Cardiff).

Over the weekend, French Rugby Federation (FFR) vice-president Jean-Marc Lhermet said they are seeking an explanation around the differences between Ringrose and Ntamack's cases.

The written report on Ringrose's online disciplinary hearing explains that Ireland interim head coach Simon Easterby said the decision had already been taken to release Ringrose back to Leinster for the Cardiff game.

That was, according to Easterby, because Ireland have "three world-class centres" in their squad (Ringrose, Bundee Aki and Robbie Henshaw) and thus Ringrose's game time in the Six Nations this year has been "limited".

Interestingly, part of the reason for releasing Ringrose back to Leinster was "to allow him the chance to play in a different position in order that Ireland can consider using [Ringrose] on the wing as well as in the centre".

The written report confirms the independent disciplinary committee was shown an e-mail sent by the Irish Rugby Football Union [IRFU] to Leinster on 24 February confirming Ringrose was included in a list of Ireland players released back to the province.

Ireland beat Wales on 22 February, so the e-mail was sent in between Ringrose being sent off and his disciplinary hearing on 27 February.

Considering all of the above, the committee was "satisfied" that Ringrose "had been expected to play at least some part" in Leinster's Cardiff game.

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Former Ireland international Donncha O'Callaghan believes Garry Ringrose's Six Nations red card against Wales "holds a massive mirror" up to rugby's disciplinary processes.

Ireland centre Ringrose was dismissed for a high tackle on Ben Thomas in the Principality Stadium last month but will sit out just one championship game, his side's hosting of France in Dublin on Saturday.

"If we're going to give the bans, we need to stand by them. Otherwise we're undermining all our officials," said O'Callaghan on Rugby Union Weekly.

"We [Ireland] are incredibly lucky to have Garry back on the pitch so soon.

"Nothing towards him. He's an incredible player, not a bit dirty, an incredible guy, but that went wrong.

"To see the way the citing went is disappointing."

Ringrose's three-game ban came after the mid-range entry point of a six week/match suspension was reduced by 50% taking into account his guilty plea and previous disciplinary record.

A further game will be taken off should Ringrose complete World Rugby's Coaching Intervention Programme.

The 30-year-old was also able to serve the first game of the suspension during Leinster's United Rugby Championship victory over Cardiff on Saturday, meaning he could return against Italy in the Six Nations' final weekend.

Romain Ntamack was handed a similar ban for his red card against Wales in round one, also for a tackle on Thomas, although his suspension did not include matches for his club side Toulouse.

Both players were inititally shown yellow cards subject to off-field reviews.

That meant the punishment could only be upgraded to a 20-minute rather than full red card and allowed Ireland to later replace Ringrose with Bundee Aki.

Given the huge impact made by Aki in the remainder of the game, O'Callaghan questioned the reduced sanction which is being used in the Six Nations for the first time this season.

"You have to think does it undermine the card itself?" he added.

"Did Wales lose out on the advantage? Do France gain as opposed to what it was there for?

"It holds a massive mirror up to the sanction."

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Ireland say they are hopeful captain Caelan Doris will be available for their Six Nations meeting with France at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday afternoon (14.15 GMT).

The 26-year-old back row missed out on the victory over Wales in Cardiff last month with a knee injury.

"Ireland captain Caelan Doris continues to make positive strides and it is hoped that he will be available for selection," said a statement from the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) on Monday.

Ireland have won three from three in this year's championship and have already secured the Triple Crown.

They are aiming to become the first side to ever win three consecutive outright titles in the Six Nations.

The IRFU added that number eight Jack Conan and fly-half Ciaran Frawley are also in contention, but a decision will be made later in the week on the availability of hooker Ronan Kelleher and prop Tadhg Furlong, who continues to deal with a calf injury.

The 32-year-old Furlong missed Ireland's November games with a separate injury issue and has not played at all since Leinster's win over La Rochelle in the Champions Cup on 12 January.

Kelleher started Ireland's wins over England and Scotland to start the campaign but was absent against Wales with a neck problem.

Ireland, who name their team on Thursday afternoon, have also added Max Deegan, Darragh Murray, Tommy O'Brien and Tom O'Toole to their squad.

All four featured for Ireland 'A' in their defeat against England in Bristol last month.