France 30-24 Ireland: Les Bleus hold off thrilling Irish comeback to claim Six Nations victory

Antoine Dupont was on the scoresheet as France held on for a crucial Six Nations win

France ensured a thrilling Ireland comeback from 15 points down fell just short as the hosts held on for a 30-24 victory in a scintillating Six Nations encounter at the Stade de France.

Les Bleus, who hit the front via an Antoine Dupont try after just 67 seconds, led by 12 points at the break when full-back Melvyn Jaminet added four penalties.

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That advantage was stretched to 15 points early in the second half, but Ireland responded with great spirit to bring the game back to 22-21, before prop Cyril Baille scored a second France try and Jaminet added one further penalty.

The visitors scored tries through wing Mack Hansen, flanker Josh van der Flier and scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park, with fly-half Joey Carbery - in for injured skipper Johnny Sexton - adding three conversions and a penalty, but they could not take the final step to turn things around completely.

The Stade de France was in great voice and a wonderful spectacle as Les Bleus hung on to win

Melvyn Jaminet - who kicked six penalties and a conversion - and Romain Ntamack celebrate victory

Ireland began the contest with a poor Gibson-Park box-kick which made little distance, and when Dupont was alert to fling a quick lineout onto the pitch, relentless early attack followed before the scrum-half raced in just past the first minute when Romain Ntamack broke and offloaded inside.

The try was the earliest Ireland have ever conceded in the championship, and though they responded with early pressure in the France 22 themselves, a spillage by back-row Caelan Doris after two inaccurate Gibson-Park passes ended the chance.

Dupont was over for the opening try after just 67 seconds in Paris

Within moments the France lead was 10-0 after breakdown pressure by Gabin Villiere with Ireland in retreat after that Doris spillage saw a penalty awarded, and Jaminet struck over leaving the away side in need of a quick reply.

The response could not have been more prompt, as from Carbery's restart the chasing Hansen sensationally caught the ball above his head at full pelt to sprint in and touch down in the seventh minute for his maiden try at Test level.

Carbery added a stunning conversion from out wide to get Ireland right back into the contest, and they were next to look threatening when Gibson-Park sent a grubber-kick through for Andrew Conway, but the ball just rolled out.

Ireland responded to going 10-0 down by scoring directly from the restart through Mack Hansen

An offside against hooker Ronan Kelleher invited France back into the Irish third before long, and though the visitors stemmed the first attack - Kelleher tackling Julian Marchand into touch - intense pressure at a subsequent Ireland maul set-up saw lock Paul Willemse jackal to win a breakdown penalty and Jaminet strike over for 13-7.

French physicality was monstering Ireland at both ends, with Les Bleus extremely powerful both in the tackle and when in possession, and the visitors had superb Tadhg Beirne breakdown work to thank for relieving further pressure.

Several errors and bouts of misfortune soon followed, however, as Kelleher was forced off with an arm injury, Carbery executed a poor aerial kick, replacement hooker Dan Sheehan's first lineout throw went awry and France flanker Anthony Jelonch forced a breakdown steal to stop a promising attack.

Ireland suffered a blow when they lost hooker Ronan Kelleher to an arm injury in the first half

Jaminet then added his third penalty of the first half after wing Damian Penaud and debutant centre Yoram Moefana had linked up nicely down the right wing, and Ireland were caught offside.

With little time remaining of the first period, Ireland full-back Hugo Keenan sent a kick from his own 10-metre line which ran all the way dead, handing France a scrum from which they forced a penalty to stretch the lead to 12 points via the boot of Jaminet.

Knowing they absolutely had to score the first points of the second half, Ireland sought to play with urgency, but a sloppy and cheap penalty against Conway for being ahead of the kicker once again saw Jaminet handed the tee, and the 22-year-old Perpignan back cannoned the ball through the posts from distance for a hefty 15-point advantage.

Jaminet kicked France out to a 12-point half-time lead, and then a 15-point second-half one

Ireland responded with a try quickly, as openside Van der Flier surged over after a rolling maul drive, and Carbery was on hand to land his second tough conversion of the night to bring the game back to 22-14.

Josh van der Flier got over for Ireland's second try soon after France had gained a big lead

Less than five minutes later Ireland had their third try when Gibson-Park stepped, sniped and went in magnificently after Andy Farrell's side had started to get into their free-flowing passing game just prior.

When Carbery converted, Ireland had turned a 15-point deficit to a single point in under six minutes.

Jamison Gibson-Park scored less than five minutes after Van der Flier's score to bring Ireland to within one point of France

Having worked so hard to get within touching distance, Ireland were then guilty of gifting France a try as they were counter-rucked within their own 22 and loosehead Baille barged over in spectacular fashion to make them pay.

Jaminet surprisingly struck wide with the conversion, leaving the gap just six points, but though Ireland remained in the fight, they passed up a key chance with 13 minutes left when a lineout in the France 22 - after a brilliant Beirne 50/22 effort - was stolen by flanker François Cros for the hosts.

Cyril Baille's crucial try came after Ireland had been counter-rucked within their own 22

The visitors continued to apply pressure, appearing to have more energy than their opponents in the closing stages, and with eight minutes left Carbery reduced the gap to three points when France went off feet at the ruck - skipper James Ryan deciding against kicking to the corner in search of a try.

A fresh burst of energy was France's repost, and with the Stade de France crowd in great voice they looked to have killed the game when Jaminet appeared to dive over for a late try, but the effort was not awarded after a TMO review, with Sheehan doing fantastically to hold the ball up.

The home side had been playing on penalty advantage, though, allowing Jaminet to kick France back into a six-point lead with less than two minutes left.

Ireland had two further spells of possession in the limited time that remained, but their final chance down the left was ended when Sheehan knocked on a long Jack Carty pass, bringing to a conclusion a Test of massive intensity.

Ireland's chance of a Six Nations Grand Slam in 2022 is gone, as they lost after nine successive wins

Stats of the match

What's next?

After next weekend's Six Nations fallow week, Ireland will host Italy in Dublin on Sunday, February 27 (3pm kick off GMT) in Round 3, looking to get their campaign back on track and extend a run of 11 straight wins over the Azzurri.

France will travel to face Scotland - who lost to Wales in Cardiff on Saturday - at Murrayfield in Round 3 on Saturday, February 26 (2.15pm kick off GMT).