France 9 - 24 Ireland
Video now up.
FULLTIME: It's all over! Ireland win and face Argentina in the quarterfinals while the All Blacks will play France.
77 Min: Madigan penalty to really rub it in...is good!
73 Min: Madigan bangs over the conversion and that could be game, set, match.
72 Min: Big push for France here they're five meteres from the French line and Rory Best is over the line!? No! Murray the halfback though pops up and goes over! TRY!
70 Min: Ireland playing some ferocious defence as France get another lineout on their 22...But France are pinged for I think obstruction. It's just not coming together for them.
68 Min: France can't catch a break...Parra loses the ball forward around the ruck.
67 Min: France penalty and Parra kicks it upfield. France lineout on the Ireland 22...Its another sloppy one but France managfe to hold on and now here comes Dulin down the left wing.
66 Min: Subs rolling on and off for both teams...Ireland lineout is very poor and it's slapped out. France with a chance.
64 Min: Parra slots the penalty to keep France within touching distance.
63 Min: Basteraud comes off for Remi Tales from the French bench... In the meantime France are awarded a penalty and it looks like Morgan Parra will kick for goal from the advantage line.
62 Min: After plenty of Ireland pressure, France get the penalty for holding onto the ball.
60 Min: Ireland on halfway and Madigan puts in a delightful chip for Henshaw who plucks the ball out of the air! France scramble on defence...
59 Min: Lineout for France inside Ireland's 22...Basteraud with a strong hit up...But Ireland turn it over again and Kearney clears it, Nakaitaci tries to keep it in but bumbles that and steps out. Ireland with the lineout. France have been very poor today.
56 Min: Ireland again on the front foot...they're over the advantage line and pressing on that 22...But France off the hook as Ireland penalised for coming in from the side.
55 Min: France roll the changes as well, changing their halfback and flanker while O'Mahony is the latest player to be stretchered off, he was given oxygen on the field. It is an absolute warzone out there.
53 Min: Chris Henry comes on for prop Peter O'Mahony for Ireland.
53 Min: France have their heads down in a big way. Dusatoir drops a pass on the advantage line under no pressure.
51 Min: Madigan misses the conversion.
50 Min: Millenium Stadium is rocking! Irish fans in full voice as their side pack down for a scrum five metres out...Heaslip to Murray to Henshaw on the inside cut and he nearly goes over! Ire3land recycle and they're on the French line! Penalty coming as well...Now they flick it wide to Kearney who powers over the line! TRY! Huge moment!
49 Min: Ireland with the scrum and Henshaw fends a man and breaks the gap! He gets a lofted pass out to Kearney on the right! Ireland knocking on the door, they're five metres out but they are ran out by the French. Ref brings it back for a scrum Ireland's way.
48 Min: Ireland with some space out the back and Madigan tries a pass too far and it's intercepted by Fofana! He juggles it a bit, losing some momentum but referee Nigel Owens pulls play back for a penalty anyway.
47 Min: Ireland lose the ball forward at the 22 and again they start to knock on the door before it all falls apart. The France defence has been monumental.
46 Min: Another French lineout falls apart and Ireland look to Kearney down the left wing, he kicks ahead and recovers. France over the advantage line...
44 Min: Up tempo start to the second half, both teams have shown flashes of penetrating the defence.
Not looking good for captain Paul O'Connell. His tournament could be over. Arous comes off for Debaty for France.
41 Min: Ireland kick off and the second half is underway!
Reaction from the Ireland fans after the missed opportunity by Earls.
HALFTIME: Ireland lead but they've lost two key players to injury as the stretcher comes on for O'Connell. The game still hangs in the balance to see who will top the group and who will play the All Blacks! Don't go away, it's still all to happen.
41 Min: France throw it in for the final play of the half...Paul O'Connell is in pain at the bottom of the ruck as Spedding races away down the right...They look to come inside and Michalak out the back of the hands to Arous...Ireland trying to claim France lying all over the ball and Ireland do get the penalty. That should be hafltime..O'Connell is still down and that doesn't look good. He was clutching his hamstring...
40 Min: Henshaw with another little kick through which is highly ineffective...France try the counter, no going so kick it downfield for Madigan to hoof back but the sub whacks it into touch. Halftime imminent.
39 Min: Ireland still have the ball in this passage of play. They can't find a way through though...Trying to slowly gain ground through their forwards...Now Kearney on the right but he only makes a few metres...Ireland still can't get into that 22...
36 Min: Lineout finally works for France and Tillous-Borde clears their lines...Pressure still on though as Ireland throw it in to the back...big tackle from Dusatoir...Here is the substitute Madigan who doesn't look like he knows what to do with it...Ireland working through their phases as halftime approaches.
35 Min: Sean O'Brien with a good carry before Madigan puts a nice little kick which rolls out into the corner. France with some more defending to do.
33 Min: Great scrummaging from the French who win the ball back and get themselves over the 22...But Ireland hold strong and Les Blues are stung for not releasing.
33 Min: Ireland are penalised for not releasing and you can imagine, despite it being on halfway, France will kick for goal here...Well shows how much I know, they kick for touch and it's a very loose lineout, Ireland can't secure it and neither can Fofana who knocks it on.
30 Min: Tommy Bowe bursts through the line at pace! He has Earls in support and it's two on one! Bowe to Earls who fumbles the ball! He's lost it backwards, and managed to retain it but there was a try begging!
29 Min: Latest on the Sexton injury and it turns out he has a groin injury...France clear their lines, Ireland don't opt for the quick throw.
28 Min: France concede a soft penalty and Madigan will have his first pop at goal...And he knocks it through the posts!
27 Min: Players going down all over the pitch as Picamoles cops a leg to the face from a wayward Henshaw kick..Some really big hits flying in at the moment...Ireland working through their phases and they have the advantage.
26 Min: And it is not good news for Sexton! He's replaced by Madigan and sheds a few tears as he walks off. He'll be hoping he's not out of the tournament. Big moment in the game.
25 Min: Sexton is down clutching his shoulder getting treatment from the medics. That's not a great sign if you're an Ireland fan.
24 Min: Spedding turns on the pace to get away down the wing but France turn it over as they go inside and Ireland come up with it, with a chance on down the right! Poor pass behind a Bowe and they lose their momentum...
23 Min: Scott Spedding has quite the boot on him. He nudges a penalty over from behind halfway!
22 Min: Few players down after the longest passage of play so far...Ireland pinged for a high tackle.
21 Min: Bit of Sevens style rugby as Brice Dulin is forced to run the ball back from a kick and has nowhere to go, he turns and twists before being hunted down by the Irish...
19 Min: Sexton bangs it over for his second penalty and Ireland lead.
18 Min: Sexton with an early drop goal after advantage called and it hits the post! France manage to deal with the danger...Ireland will go back to the penalty and have a calmer kick at goal.
17 Min: Good lineout from Ireland and the green surge forward...
16 Min: Spedding wellies this one over and we are tied up!
15 Min: Michalak picks a gap and looks to be through before being pulled down. Conor Murray is quick to the breakdown and turns it over, before Ireland are penalised for not releasing. Another kick at goal for Spedding.
Banter...
13 Min: Sexton bangs it over to put Ireland on the board!
Piri Weepu has some thoughts on this game
12 Min: France lineout is overthrown and Ireland jump on the loose ball, Sexton with a little chip and chase over the top and France commit a penalty. Ireland with their first shot at goal.
10 Min: Big kick for Scott Spedding from just in front of halfway...The crowd goes deathly quiet....It comes off the post! Mike Ross comes up with the ball and has to boot it into touch. Good kick.
9 Min: Great take from Seabastien Tillous-Borde and that sparks a bit of a counter before Ireland come up with their big bodies and force a knock on. Scrum to Ireland....But the scrum collapses and it's a penalty to France.
7 Min: France show some attacking intent as Wesley Fofana shows his gas down the wing but Tommy Bowe comes across to make a great tackle into touch.
6 Min: Michalak with horror kick, it looked wobbly from the run-up and he's missed! Big cheer from Ireland fans. Should have converted.
5 Min: First scrum of the game is tidy from both teams but Ireland flick it away and now they have some room to move in the backline...before they are caught offside. Thierry Dusatoir very strong at the breakdown. Michalak will kick for goal.
4 Min: France bring the lineout down and look to drive but they are eventually penalised as Ireland put up some great defence.
3 Min: It's the hooker Damien Chouly who is receiving treatment...penalty goes France's way and Scott Spedding smashes it downfield into touch. Good kick.
2 Min: A lot of early physicality as a France lock goes down in the first minute...Ireland on the front foot, Tommy Bowe has looked lively early coming close to breaking the line.
1 Min: Michalak kicks off for France and we are underway!
Please stand for the national anthems...
What an atmosphere! The teams walk out on to the field to a packed house and the crowd is awash with green and blue.
Five minutes to go and it feels like we're already at the knockout stage despite this being a pool match! Who's thinking they'd rather face the All Blacks...
France flanker Yannick Nyanga loving the atmosphere heading into the stadium.
Not long to go! !5 minutes and the roof is on at Millenium Stadium. Both teams have had a fairly easy run up until this point so this will be a great test of who is the more prepared for top-class opposition.
Kick-off isn't far away but in the meantime you can watch Melissa Davies' story on who would it be better for the All Blacks to face in the quarterfinals.
Teams:
France: Scott Spedding; Noa Nakaitaci, Mathieu Bastareaud, Wesley Fofana, Brice Dulin; Frederic Michalak, Sebastien Tillous-Borde; Eddy Ben Arous, Guilhem Guirado, Rabah Slimani; Pascal Pape, Yoann Maestri; Thierry Dusautior (capt), Damien Chouly, Louis Picamoles
Reserves: Benjamin Kayser, Vincent Debaty, Nicolas Mas, Alexandre Flanquart, Bernard Le Roux, Morgan Parra, Remi Tales, Alexandre Dumoulin
Ireland: Rob Kearney; Tommy Bowe, Keith Earls, Robbie Henshaw, Dave Kearney; Johnny Sexton, Conor Murray; Cian Healy, Rory Best, Mike Ross; Devin Toner, Paul O'Connell; Peter O'Mahony, Sean O'Brien, Jamie Heasip
Reserves: Richardt Strauss, Jack McGrath, Nathan White, Iain Henderson, Chris Henry, Eoin Reddan, Ian Madigan, Luke Fitzgerald
Pre-match banter:
It's a week until the All Blacks play the much-anticipated quarter finals, but this morning's Ireland-France match will set the stage for it.
The teams face off in their final pool match, and the real prize for winning will be avoiding the All Blacks in the quarters.
But who is a better opponent for the All Blacks?
The Irish and the French have had fairly easy matches so far, but when they meet at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff tomorrow it will most likely be anything but. It's one of the most-anticipated clashes in pool play and for the winners there is a special prize. But Irish captain Paul O'Connell is not thinking about avoiding New Zealand in the quarter final.
"I think the match is too close to think of anything beyond that," he says.
"Really I just want the team to focus on this game, to want to improve," says French captain Thierry Dusautoir.
Ireland haven't lost to France in four years. But France are rugby's Jekyll and Hyde team, often pulling out the required intensity just when it's needed.
"If I were a bookmaker, I would not bet on the French team," says Dusautoir. "But I am a player and I think we can change things tomorrow on the pitch."
France have reached the semi-finals in six of the previous seven World Cups. The only other team to achieve that record is New Zealand. Ireland has reached the quarter finals five times and lost every one.
"The next 24 hours for us is a tough time because the doubt's there and the fear's there," says O'Connell.
All Blacks coach Steve Hansen says for the All Blacks, there is no preferential opponent.
"There's no advantage in playing one or the other. They're very good teams and we'll just deal with what's put in front of us and train accordingly and get excited about it."
Former players know the danger of the French.
"On their day and when they come up against the All Blacks, they always produce something special," says former All Black Carlos Spencer.
But some fans say bring it on.
The All Blacks have been dealt a blow, with a hamstring injury bringing Tony Woodcock's career to an early end, but Canterbury prop Joe Moody is en route to replace him.
"Pretty gutting for him that he can't continue, but at the same time I'm excited to be going over and taking his place, so I've got to do as best as I can," says Moody.
The rugby omens are on his side. Moody is replacing the man who scored the only try for the All Blacks in the last World Cup final. He's coming into the squad during the tournament, just like that other cup final hero, Stephen "Beaver" Donald – no pressure though, Joe.
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