Difference in quality of the half-back partnerships key to where game was decided Independent.ie 15/02/2021
Ireland 13 France 15
If France go on to win this Championship they will have learned the value of putting teams away when you have them on one knee and short of breath.
On a strange day when the weather in this corner of south Dublin went from winter to spring in about half an hour before kick-off, the current tournament favourites were looking good to win with room to spare. Yet at the final whistle they were mightily relived, celebrating like they were taking home the trophy.
The 1998 Five Nations campaign had long been consigned to the dark history of Irish rugby before 2000 until yesterday when the class of 2021 dredged up a bad memory by becoming the first Irish team since that season to lose their first two championship matches.