France 25 Ireland 3:The unbridled optimism that preceded Ireland's World Cup campaign is a distant memory this evening after Eddie O'Sullivan's side fell short of the mark yet again, with an error-strewn performance unworthy of the players that produced it.
There will be a chance to put this right next week with a bonus point performance against Argentina that must deny Los Pumas a bonus as well, but in reality Ireland showed nothing tonight to hint that might be possible in nine days time.
This was the last chance for many of Ireland's most talented generation, for whom there won't be another World Cup appearance in New Zealand in four years. This was supposed to be their time, their opportunity to show they had matured into a side capable of producing Ireland's best finish in the sport's premier competition. Instead, they look like they will be the first Irish side to fail to qualify from the group stages in a World Cup.
A partisan Stade de France cared not for the dreams of Les Verts, but for the fortunes of Les Bleues, for whom failure would have spelt an even more dismal reality. Defeat here would have left them with the legacy of being the first host nation to be dismissed in the pool stages and that did not bear thinking about for a demanding French public and Bernard Laporte's proud squad.
There were early signs of improvement, after impotent displays against Namibia and Georgia, but as the game wore and Ireland were worn down, the cracks appeared again and eventually Vincent Clerc, the villain of Croke Park in the Six Nations, touched down twice in the second half to seal a comprehensive win.
The intensity was white hot from the word go. Ireland traded kicks with their opponents, each looking to test the other under high-ball.
Both teams were under pressure and that showed early on. French captain Raphael Ibanez was guilty of a crooked throw on his first lineout and when Jerry Flannery - back in the team for the injured Rory Best, got his first chance - Sebastien Chabal claimed ahead of Donncha O'Callaghan.
The first points came in the seventh minute after Julien Bonnaire claimed brilliantly for the first time and in the ensuing ruck David Wallace was penalised for not rolling away. Jean-Baptiste Ellisalde gratefully took his chance.
Ireland defended doggedly and twice denied France on the line, the first time when Shane Horgan pulled Clement Poitrenaud into touch and the second when Simon Eeasterby won a penalty for forcing Ibanez to hold on yards short of the line.
More often than not, however, Ireland's indiscipline let them down and as captain Brian O'Driscoll said afterwards, his side helped France keep the scoreboard "ticking over", until Ellisalde had booted four over for a 12-3 halftime lead. The solitary Irish score came from a Ronan O'Gara drop-goal on one of the few forays into the French half.
The second half saw even fewer excursions into French territory as, in possession, Ireland struggled to break the gainline and O'Gara's kicking from hand also lacked accuracy. The lineout, too, let Ireland down with France number eight Julien Bonnaire doing serious damage on French and Irish throw-ins.
France extended their lead after early Irish pressure yielded nothing. Bonnaire fielded another French lineout and blood substitute Frankie Sheahan and Paul O'Connell were penalised for lifting Jerome Thion in the maul. Ellisalde made it 15-3.
Dimitri Szarzewski replaced Ibanez and Lionel Nallet came in for Chabal as Laporte made the first two changes available to him. He went on to make all he could and that told as O'Sullivan had no impact players on the bench.
France blitzed the next Irish scrum and won an offside decision after another sloppy Irish lineout. One controlled scrum later and Frederic Michalak, who had been more cold than hot up to then, chipped over for Clerc to touchdown in acres of space on the blindside.
It went from bad to worse for Ireland as O'Connell saw yellow for coming in at the side. The game looked up at 20-3 and Ireland began chasing it with 14 men, but made little or no ground.
They were exposed again with 11 minutes to go when Clerc fielded a kick, this time from Ellisalde, and fended off tackles from O'Gara, Trimble and fullback Girvan Dempsey.
Ireland rallied again and showed some fight as O'Connell re-entered the fray but there was no way through an impenetrable French defence.
"We're still alive, if barely," admitted Denis Leamy after the game, but even that looks a generous assessment at this stage.
Leamy might be around in four years time, and so might his coach, who was awarded a four year contract prior to this competition, but for many of this side Argentina on September 30th is last chance saloon with the odds firmly stacked against them.
