The Irish Times' reports from Ireland's World Cup warm-up defeat to France in Dublin.
"For all the talk of Irish rustiness – five of Saturday’s starting team were making their first appearance of the season – you couldn’t help but remind yourself that 13 of this French side were making their seasonal bow on Saturday, and 15 of them had done so a week before.
"Furthermore, this was, after all, Ireland’s notional first-choice pack bar one enforced change, notional first-choice halfbacks and first-choice midfield, and they were at home and led 8-0 after a bright first 10 minutes. Indeed, they book-ended the contest with a further 14 points in the final eight minutes and so, for what it’s worth, they could take comfort in again finishing the game strongly.
"But the problem was what happened in between. As Ireland lost their way with a surfeit of errors, the French, during one 22-minute spell, scored 26 unanswered points and were strutting around the Aviva Stadium as if they owned it – which they pretty much did."
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