Live LoaderVAVEL Live SmallLive Match

​6:48: That's where I'll leave you today - thank you for following the match with VAVEL UK. If you've enjoyed my commentary, you can follow me on Twitter - I'm @britfan16. The final pool match starts later tonight - Japan to face the USA

6:46​: Ireland were clearly the better team in the second half, and deserve to win the pool. They'll face Argentina next Saturday for a place in the semifinals, France will face New Zealand - a much tougher task perhaps, but they've beaten the All Blacks at that stage before...

​6:43: ​ Jamie Heaslip calls the match one of the Irish's ''greatest squad performances'' and pays tribute to the deafening Irish crowd. It's tough to argue with that - despite losing two inportant leaders early on, Ireland held firm, and were magnificent in the second half - 70% possession in the second half gave France no chance to get back into the game

6:42: ​France's defence was the strongest part of their game today, the rare times it failed the reason for their defeat - Ireland spent just 6% of the second half in the French 22, but scored two tries. Mistakes crept into their game as time went on - perhaps understandable as they began to chase the game.

6:40:​ Sean O'Brien deservedly named man of the match on a day when Ireland slowly got the better of France, before dominating the final quarter. This was a comfortable win for the Irish in the end, who will now look forward to a quarterfinal with Argentina on Saturday.

​6:38: ​FULL TIME Ireland 24 - 9 France

Scott Spedding knocks on, and Nigel Owens calls time on the penultimate match of the pool stages. The roar from the crowd makes it rather hard to believe we're in Wales, rather than Ireland​

6:37: ​ Ireland keeping the ball in hand as the clock ticks down inside the French half. A knock on with five seconds to go gives France a last chance to make the scorline a littleless one-sided

6:35: ​Moments later, Ireland get the better of another scrum, and from the resulting penalty gain a lineout just outside the French 22. Ireland in total control here

6:33: ​France collapse a scrum, and after telling the French front row to keep their comments to themselves, Nigel Owens points to the posts to signal an Irish attempt at goal. Penalty kicked by Madigan. Ireland 24 - 9 France​, the Irish two scores ahead with 3 minutes left

​6:32: ​The crowd are dancing and singing with delight - there is no question who they're supporting

​6:28: TRY for Ireland!
​Ireland win a lineout on the French 22, and a series of powerful drives bring them close to the French try line. Their progress is paused for a little, before Best gets millimetres away from the line under the posts. Ireland spot no French defenders at on the post protector, and touch the ball against the bottom of the post to score their second try. Converted by Madigan, this is going to be tough for France to win from here... ​Ireland 21 - 9 France

6:25: ​France rather shoot themselves in the foot by crossing during their attack, giving Ireland a penalty. There's a pause for a blood injury, which is good news for the exhausted-looking players. This has been a very physical match.

6:24: ​Ireland win the ball from the scum, but Kearney's clearing kick doesn't go far, and it's a French lineout just outside the Irish 22

6:22: ​France making good ground, into the Irish 22 before a (very) forward pass gives Ireland a scrum on their own 22. France will need to score soon if they are to win this

​6:21: ​Morgan Parra is the victim of a high tackle, and Nigel Owens penalises the Irish. Back into the Irish half we go.

6:19: ​''What's my name?'' Nigel Owens asks to check a player for concussion. ''Francois,'' responds the Irishman, which Owens takes as a joke rather than a sign of concussion

6:17: ​Morgan Parra makes no mistake from in front of the posts. Ireland 14 - 9 France

6:16: ​O'Brien penalised for not rolling away, and France will have a kick at goal to reduce the deficit to five points

6:14: Once again, France hold firm just outside their own 22, and eventually win a penalty

6:12: ​The French drive from the lineout isn't moving, and they spread it to the backs. O'Brien steals the ball from Basteraud on the floor, and Ireland clear

6:10: ​Ireland steal French lineout ball again, but are eventually penalised for not rolling away. France opt to kick for the corner...

​6:09: ​Ireland deep in the French half again, but Rory Best is penalised for joining the ruck from the side, and France will get the chance to clear their lines.

6:06​: O'Mahony becomes the second Irishman to leave on a stretcher - these injuries will be very concerning for Ireland as we approach the knockout stages. Morgan Parra on for France

6:05: ​Ireland approach the French try line once more, before they drop the ball and France clear. Peter O'Mahony is another injury concern for Ireland, lying on the ground with an oxygen mask at present.

6:03: ​ The pro-Irish crowd are making huge amounts of noise - it almost sounds like an Irish home game. Dusatoir knocks on on his own 22, and Ireland have another attacking scrum

​6:00: TRY for Ireland!
​The Irish forwards batter away at the French try line following the scrum, but there's no way through the French defence. Ireland spread it wide, and Rob Kearney muscles his way over from short range. Conversion missed, Ireland 14 - 6 France

5:58: ​Henshaw bursts through the French line, and nearly puts Ireland in for a try. France knock on in a tackle, and after Ireland are bundled into touch, the men in green have a scrum 5 metres from the French line

5:56: ​Ireland turn over French ball, and look to have an overlap, but Madigan's pass is intercepted by Fofana. He's held by the Irish defence though, and we go back for an Irish scrum

5:54: ​Ireland steal the French lineout, and storm up to the French 22. But again, they run into a French brick wall, and eventually knock on for a French scrum

5:52:​ France making ground from their own half, but they knock on, and go back for a previous penalty. Michalak's kick takes them well inside the Irish half

5:50: ​Ireland move the ball wide, and look to have found a gap in the French defence, but Sean O'Brian drops the ball. Scrum to France in their own half. ''You've been very good, now keep the same'' says Nigel Owens to the front rows

5:49: ​Paul O'Connell stretchered off at half time to be replaced by Ian Henderson. Is that the last we'll see of him in International rugby?

5:35: ​This has been a tight first half, just as expected before the match. Defences have been on top, the French possibly looking slightly more dangerous with ball in hand. Discipline will be key in the second half, with the match not looking much like producing a try for most of the first 40 minutes. This could come down to who gives the opposition fewer chances to kick at goal.

5:34: ​Having said that, the Irish do have the lead at half time.

​HT: Ireland 9 - 6 France

5:33: ​Paul O'Connell is on the gound clutching his shoulder in pain as the players go off for half time. Worrying times for Ireland having already lost Jonny Sexton

5:31​: Ireland can't unlock the French defence in the French half, prompting a grubber kick behind France from the Irish. No one chases it, though, and France clear their lines. The French threaten the Irish line on the cusp of half time, but eventually are penalised for not releasing the ball.

5:27​: Ireland push forward into the french half, and a superb kick from Madigan gives France a lineout close to their own line

5:25​: France drive the Irish scrum backwards, and look to have momentum going forwards, before Heaslip gets over the ball at the breakdown, and forces a penalty for his team

5:24​: Another lineout goes awry, and Fofana is in under the posts before being pulled back for a knock on in the lineout

5:23​: Ireland break the French line, only for Keith Earls to drop the ball with the try line at his mercy. The French defence regains control of the next Irish attack, and eventually force a penalty.

5:20: ​France obstruct the Irish kick chase, and Madigan gives Ireland a lineout in the French 22. France steal it, though, and clear their lines to go wll inside the Irish half

5:18: Ian Madigan takes over the kicking, and makes no mistake kicking the Irish penalty. Ireland 9 - 6 France

5:17:​ Ireland going nowhere in attack, and Nigel Owens brings everyone back for an Irish penalty. France have not missed a single tackle in the first 27 minutes - Ireland have missed five.

5:14​: The game being played at a furious pace at the moment, both teams butchering overlaps. Jonny Sexton can't recover from a hit by Louis Picamoles, and is replaced by Ian Madigan. Big blow for Ireland.

​5:10: ​The game breaking up a bit now, possession switching hands several times within the French half. Ireland penalised for a high tackle just inside the French half, and a huge kick from Scott Spedding - the joint longest in the World Cup so far - evens the score. ​Ireland 6 - 6 France

5:07​: Ireland win a lineout just outside the French 22, and hammer away at the French defensive line. They're not making much ground though, and when Nigel Owens calls an advantage to Ireland, Sexton tries a drop goal, hits the post, then kicks the penalty anyway. ​Ireland 6 - 3 France

5:04:​ Third time lucky for France, as they kick the penalty to draw level. ​Ireland 3 - 3 France

5:03:​ France attack without making much ground, before Michalak breaks the Irish line. Ireland turn the ball over, before France steal it back, and win a penalty after Ireland fail to roll away after the tackle.

5:00​: Ireland steal the French lineout ball, make 20 metres, and get a very kickable penalty when the French stray offside at a ruck. Sexton makes no mistake, a perfect kick putting Ireland into the lead. ​Ireland 3 - 0 France

4:59​: France hit the post with the penalty, and the Irish clear for a French lineout on the 10 metre line

​4:57: ​Scrum for France almost right in the middle of the pitch after an Irish knock on in the tackle, and the Irish give away anothe penalty for collapsing it

4:56:​ Good work from the French forwards give the back space to run out wide. It comes to nothing though, Wesley Fofana bundled into touch

4:53:​ France win another penalty after Ireland infringe at the ruck. Ireland will need to be careful when running the ball from their own 22 as they did there. Giving away penalties here could be fatal for their chances in this match. Michalak misses the kick at goal though - it was a reasonably tricky one for the Frenchman.

4:51: ​Pascal Papé recovers from an injury and is fit to continue. Ireland hold the ball up after the French lineout from the penalty, and win a scrum on their own 22

​4:50​: France get the first penalty of the match inside their own half, after both sides test the opposition's defences early on. Ireland look to be more effective in attack early on

4:48​: Nigel Owens blows his whistle, and Michalak gets the match underway

4:46: ​Anthems done, the players prepare for kickoff...

The crowd seems to be split in Ireland's favour - always important in a match expected to be as tight as this one.

The players come through the tunnel to cries of ''Ireland, Ireland!'' from the crowd. This is a familiar venue for both of the teams from their matches against Wales - the last neutral match France played here was their famous victory over New Zealand at this stage eight years ago

France second row Yoann Maestri was looking to turn things around against the Irish after a four-year wait for a win: ''we really want to go for the first place and win against Ireland who've got the better of us for the last four years."

Irish flanker Peter O'Mahony was looking forward before the match to ''the biggest game I've ever played in." He was well aware of the improvement needed from the display against Italy: "We've got to go up two or three levels this week - French teams are certainly renowned for performing at World Cups and I don't think it's going to be any different this time."

France: Scott Spedding; Noa Nakaitaci, Mathieu Bastareaud, Wesley Fofana, Brice Dulin; Frederic Michalak, Sebastien Tillous-Borde; Eddy Ben Arous, Guilhem Guirado, Rabah Slimani; Pascal Pape, Yoann Maestri; Thierry Dusautior (capt), Damien Chouly, Louis Picamoles.

Replacements: Benjamin Kayser, Vincent Debaty, Nicolas Mas, Alexandre Flanquart, Bernard Le Roux, Morgan Parra, Remi Tales, Alexandre Dumoulin

Ireland: Rob Kearney; Tommy Bowe, Keith Earls, Robbie Henshaw, Dave Kearney; Johnny Sexton, Conor Murray; Cian Healy, Rory Best, Mike Ross; Devin Toner, Paul O'Connell; Peter O'Mahony, Sean O'Brien, Jamie Heasip.

Replacements: Richardt Strauss, Jack McGrath, Nathan White, Iain Henderson, Chris Henry, Eoin Reddan, Ian Madigan, Luke Fitzgerald.

Both teams are fully aware of the significance of the match, with the winners set to play Argentina in the quarterfinals, and the losers set the unenviable task of facing New Zealand next.

Schmidt's French counterpart Phillipe Saint-André has spoken of the anticipation among his players for the match, saying that his players''are starving for this game. They've had this match in their heads for a very long time.''

Irish coach Joe Schmidt has spoken of the need for his team to overcome the ''fear factor'' to win, and expects a tight match: "I'm expecting a really combative game. They're always very narrow margins''

Overall the two teams have met 93 times, with France winning 53 matches and Ireland 31. Since 2000, Ireland have won just six of the 20 matches between the two, so their recent good record against the French represents something of a turnaround in fortunes

The last meeting between the two teams ended in an 18-11 victory for Ireland, in a match decided by indiscipline. All of Ireland's points came from penalties, with France scoring the solitary try of the match. Since the last World Cup, Ireland have one two of the sides' four matches. The other two matches, somewhat surprisingly, ended in draws - there has been little to choose between the two teams in recent years.

The Irish have a mixed record at the Millenium stadium in recent times, having both beaten and lost to Wales this year at the venue. The France team will be hoping that this match goes better thatn their last fixture in Cardiff - a 27-6 defeat at the hands of the Welsh.

In their last match, Ireland were unconvincing in overcoing Italy 16-9, a match which assured their progression to the quarter finals. Despite the win, coach Joe Schmidt demanded improvement from his players, saying that the Irish will ''come up with a plan and hopefully we can be more accurate in putting that in place than we were against the Italians''

Good afternoon and welcome to Vavel UK's live coverage of Ireland vs France in pool D of the Rugby World Cup 2015. Keep watching this page for live updates on all of the action as the teams battle to top the pool.

VAVEL Logo
About the author