France 36-14 Ireland

France v Ireland Match Reports

France began their Six Nations title defence with a convincing 36-14 victory over Ireland in Paris. The hosts played with early swagger, scoring three tries in a dominant first-half display. Louis Bielle-Biarrey, Matthieu Jalibert and Charles Ollivon all crossed to give France a commanding 22-0 half-time lead over a sluggish Ireland. After the break, Bielle-Biarrey scored his second try to secure a four-try bonus point for the hosts. Ireland's attack finally showed signs of life when replacements Nick Timoney and Michael Milne both scored around the hour mark. Ireland continued to attack in the closing quarter, but France had the final say as Théo Attissogbe went over in the corner to seal a comfortable opening-night win. A selection of match reports is listed below:

• Six Nations Guide: France open Six Nations with statement victory against Ireland
• BBC: Ruthless France thrash Irish in Six Nations opener
• Guardian: Bielle-Biarrey stars as France outplay Ireland to lay down a Six Nations marker
• Independent: France make Six Nations statement as Antoine Dupont and Matthieu Jalibert unlock new dimension
• Sky Sports: Defending Six Nations champions clinch bonus-point victory as visitors pay for abject 50 minutes
• RTE: Ireland suffer Paris pummelling in Six Nations opener