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Mon 12 Oct 2015 | 09:42
Ireland victorious over France but lose key men for Quarter Final

12
Comments

Ireland beat France 24-9 in a fiery clash in Cardiff that left the Six Nations champions with injuries to key men Jonny Sexton and Paul O'Connell. The latter appears to be out of the tournament, while Sexton may yet make it back for Ireland's quarter final against Argentina.

Flanker Peter O'Mahony was also injured, and it has since been confirmed that he is out of the tournament after damaging his knee ligaments. Sexton and O'Connell will undergo scans today.

France's loss means they finished second in Pool D, so will face the leader of Pool C, the All Blacks. Their fixture will be a repeat of the 2007 Cardiff quarter final, when France so famously shocked the world and sent New Zealand home.

France will play New Zealand in Cardiff at 20:00 on Saturday night, followed by Ireland's quarter final against Argentina at the same venue, at 13:00 on Sunday.

Posted By: Grant Constable

12 Comments

  • drg
    11:49 AM 14/10/2015

    Maybe Sean O'Brien punched Pape, in revenge for the knee to Heaslips back, which was in turn revenge for Cian Healys headbutt before that, which in turn was revenge for that handball in soccer years ago, which in turn was revenge for when some French bloke served some Irish bloke a glass of fine wine instead of guinness, which was revenge for the time some French blokes wife gave birth to a ginger spawn of an irish 'seaman', which in turn was revenge for a joke played on an irishman in 1850 where a French man swapped some spuds for snails, which in turn was revenge for an Irishman who was fighting with the English against the French and killed the cousin of a French nobleman, who in turn killed the cousin of said Irishman, which was indeed revenge for that said nobles family member who was executed in the French revolution by an Irish guillotine operator.....? I can continue as to the reasons that Irishman became a guillotine operator if you wish...

  • drg
    1:14 AM 14/10/2015

    *Touch my bum, punch your tum*.... seems pretty proportionate to me...

  • benny
    10:41 PM 13/10/2015

    Pperhaps Pape was avenging McCaw by kneeing Heaslip in the back as penance for Rougerie eye gouging McCaw. Now O'Brien has avenged Heaslip by punching Pape. When will it all stop?!

  • oliver
    6:25 PM 13/10/2015

    Watch who you call scum. Pape had one yellow card in his whole international career. Check it.
    Heaslip kneed McCaw in the face, he's no angel either.

    And as for the supposed fractures, I'll say it again: that was a blatant lie by the Irish staff. Heaslip was back playing at international level 4 weeks, later, he missed ONE 6 nations games. Fractures take 6 weeks to heal, minimum.

    And anyways, no one said O'Brien should get the same punishment as Pape. I said considering the bans received by Tuilagi and Galarza, for very dubious offenses, O'Brien has to get at least the same.

    Right, I am done talking to you here, there's no point whatsoever.

  • oliver
    10:54 AM 13/10/2015

    Notice I added a question mark. It just seems weird for O'Brien to take such a big risk in the first minute of play. He could have simply pushed Pape away. End of.

    Now please explain why we had no replay and why the TMO did not do anything. Tell me I'm paranoid again please.

  • drg
    10:40 AM 13/10/2015

    My word, 'Heaslip revenge' *rolls eyes*, is that is what is honestly going around the French media or French fans? I can think of a lot better ways to get at Pape in a maul situation or a ruck, rather than to openly punch him in the stomach.. (or slap him, or whatever it was)....

    It was clearly retaliation for being held/pulled offside..

  • drg
    10:38 AM 13/10/2015

    Why, with the French, does there always have to be some huge deep meaning to everything?

    Watch the full video (not the last second clip) and you'll see Pape comes from Irelands side and starts pulling SOB, not very hard, but enough to change his position, so SOB turns round and belts the guy.

    Do you really think SOB thought "You know what, in revenge for Heaslip, I'm going to risk my future in this tournament by seeking out Pape and punching him in the stomach"???

    It's a cut and dry, black and white, open and shut case.. Pape pulls SOB, SOB hits Pape...

  • oliver
    7:57 AM 13/10/2015

    a dive, and a hit with the palm?
    No, wait, I have a better explanation: it was a leprechaun!!
    O'Brien is innocent!

    Ahem....maybe you should change your username to "Fantasy"....

  • brunodemalaisie
    3:53 AM 13/10/2015

    Pape is French and got 10 weeks
    O'Brien is not French and will have nothing (or almost nothing).
    If you're French, the punishment is terrible. When you're not, you've got almost nothing as ban.
    How come no one saw what happened to Pape, no slow motion? He was obviously injured in the middle of the pitch for more than a minute.
    How come none of TMO or recording where checked to see what happened?
    This said, French didn't deserve to win. Luckily PSA and Lagisquet are going to be out of the game....
    I've very little expectations regarding this coming Saturday match. And even if they manage to beat the AB, they will lose after in semi final....

  • vladimir
    4:47 PM 12/10/2015

    "I think he was being held at the time, he swung, I don't think he was looking directly at the player." "I also think it's not a closed fist." Joe Schmidt.

    Pape (kneeing Heaslip) got 10 weeks, Tuilagi got 5 at first and both were debatable (about the intent). So my guess is : official warning, no ban or 1 week ban.

    As for the game, I do not think France has the depth or the basics to cook up some miraculous game against the AB. The sooner we get out the RWC, the sooner we can get over with PSA-Lagisquet's era. Quelle purge !

  • oliver
    3:49 PM 12/10/2015

    As a French fan, I am gutted. I expected so much better.

    France was totally outplayed in every department, so well done Ireland. As for us, I have very little hope going into this quarter final.

    Oh one more thing: O'Brien has to be out of the WC.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffU-ANaVads

    revenge for the Heaslip knee in the back? Anyways, considering the bans received by Galarza and Tuilagi, O'Brien has to receive similar punishment if the citing commission is to retain any credibility.

  • katman
    3:12 PM 12/10/2015

    Great game by Ireland. But France were really poor. Their midfield was nowhere. Did they even have two wings on the field? It was like Ireland were playing against Spedding and a couple of flankers.

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