France 13 - Ireland 15: Johnny Sexton STUNS France with brilliant last-gasp drop-goal
REUTERS Johnny Sexton kicked a last-gasp drop-goal to seal the game
Having been labelled Six Nations favourites by England coach Eddie Jones, Ireland had controlled the game in the first half thanks to Sexton's experienced boot both out of hand and from the tee. But they could not find a five-pointer and in truth created precious few opportunities to do so. The gap was still six when they were caught by Teddy Thomas' sucker-punch with less than 10 minutes left, the French winger jinking over from 60 metres in a brilliant individual effort that seemed to have won an otherwise unremarkable game. However, Sexton had one more crack at the victory when Ireland edged into the French half and with the clock red and after 41 straight phases of possession, the fly-half knocked the most dramatic of drop-goals to end the match.
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"It was one of those moments. I was just happy I got another chance," said Sexton, who had missed a penalty to give Ireland a nine-point lead. After the frenetic nature of the opening match of the tournament, the first 10 minutes were veritably cagey. The two men controlling each attack could hardly have been more different, with fly-half Sexton earning his 68th cap and his opposite number winning his very first. Matthieu Jalibert at 19 is France’s youngest ever No 10 but his debut, just his 16th game of professional rugby, last only 29 minutes before a knee injury curtailed his afternoon. In a team so often paralysed by an impatient Parisian home crowd, Jailbert was one of the few to play with some freedom but little came off as Ireland’s experienced defence left him little to play with. And by the time he departed, Sexton had metronomically given the visitors a narrow but deserved six-point lead.