Ringrose caps win for superb Ireland in Six Nations classic against France

It’s been years since the championship last had a match between the two best teams in the world, and, if you didn’t know that these two were going to square off against each other all over again this time next year, you might say it would be years more before it throws up another game quite like the one they played here in Dublin. Ireland won it. It was their first victory against France in three years, and the first by anyone, anywhere, since the summer of 2021.

It was a game that spun and twisted in the wind, all wild breaks, walloping collisions, frantic tackles and fingertip passes. It stretched every last sinew, bruised every last bone, drew every last breath. When it was all over, the 57,000-odd fans inside the stadium had just enough sense left to mutter: “Well bloody hell.”

The first half was one of the great stretches of Test rugby. The lead changed hands four times in the first 15 minutes alone. An early penalty by Thomas Ramos provoked an Irish sally into France’s 22 in the very next minute. Andrew Porter barrelled over the try-line, but the ball was held up beneath him. While France were drawing breath from that defensive set, Hugo Keenan broke clean through to score his side’s first try off the back of a cute inside pass by Finlay Bealham. Another penalty kick by Ramos made it 7-6.

Then France snatched the lead back, through one of the great counterattacking tries. It was born out of total chaos. Romain Ntamack almost collided with the referee and threw a wild pass in his own half, and Ramos flicked to Damian Penaud who broke downfield. Ireland unravelled in front of him, he passed to Anthony Jelonch, who then threw an offload back to Penaud who had now drifted across on to his other shoulder. Penaud pressed