His classy left boot boomed Ireland into a good early position but under pressure for long stretches. 512 – Stuart McCloskeyAndy Farrell opted for trusted quality in the centre, placing his faith in the Ulster man’s solid reliability and he started to show more as the game wore on, creating the dent for Milne try. 42 – Dan SheehanBig night, big scrum and Sheehan was the man in the middle, helping settle nerves after the Springbok disaster. 53 – Thomas ClarksonThere were demons to confront for the entire Ireland scrum and Clarkson had to step up to the plate with Tadhg Furlong just failing to make the cut. 58 – Caelan Doris (capt)In the midst of the storm throughout, the Ireland captain wore a bloodied face from early on as the French pounded forward.

Source: Irish Examiner February 05, 2026 23:45 UTC