6N: Ireland need upset win over France to stay in race

By FOSTER NIUMATA 13 February 2021, 12:00AM

Billy Burns was in tears and being consoled when last on stage.

This was on Sunday in the Six Nations opening round. The game in Cardiff was in injury time, Ireland trailed Wales by five points, and received a penalty. Ireland wanted a five-meter lineout to launch a last-ditch attack and Burns kicked for touch — and kicked it dead. Game over.

While Burns was made the scapegoat on social media for Ireland's defeat, present and past internationals rallied around him. Essentially, they said every kicker misses touch, and Burns didn't lose the game. Crucially, Ireland defence coach Simon Easterby said if they are in the same situation against France on Sunday at Lansdowne Road, they want Burns to go for touch.

When Jonathan Sexton, the regular flyhalf for a decade, was ruled out on Thursday by a head injury from the Wales game, head coach Andy Farrell assessed whether Burns was ready mentally to step up. He trusted he was.

“Billy has been great since (Sunday),” Farrell says. "He is strong, Billy ... a proper footballer. And you know, he realizes everyone makes mistakes. His team are right behind him and he has trained outstandingly well this week.”

Former England flyhalf Freddie Burns saluted his younger brother for having the guts to try a pinpoint kick, and advised him to let it go and press on.

“The only way you get good at silencing critics is when you are in the middle of big games,” Freddie Burns told the BBC. "What else can you do? Sit there and sulk and let the armchair critics, who have fish and chips running down their face, get to you? Or do you crack on and realize you are the one playing in the Ireland shirt and doing a job for your country?”

Burns and the rest of the team need to do a job on France or they are out of title contention and reduced to playing for third place for a third year in a row. The odds are stacked. In 21 Six Nations, only France in 2006, Wales in 2013, and England last year have lost their first game and won the championship.

Ireland is without four senior leaders in captain Sexton, Conor Murray, Peter O'Mahony and James Ryan. They are injured or suspended.

But none of them were on the field at the end against Wales when Ireland almost pulled off a special win with 14 men. It can take comfort from that.

Burns and Jamison Gibson-Park, the newbie halves starting a test together for the first time, are tasked with helping Ireland extend an eight-year unbeaten record at home against France in the championship that had a lot to do with incumbents Sexton and Murray. Murray has left Gibson-Park to try and handle Antoine Dupont, who is on course to be the best player of the championship again.

France coach Fabien Galthie is wary of the vast experience still at Ireland's disposal.

"The Irish won’t change their whole way of playing from one day to the next just because they have players missing,” Galthie says.

"The scrumhalf (Gibson-Park) doesn't have the same profile as Conor Murray but he has the same technical approach: A precise kicking game, likes to carry the ball, he’s vivacious, and dangerous around the rucks.

"Burns also likes to carry the ball, he will try and make a difference with ball in hand, even though he doesn’t play the same way as Sexton.”

Despite beating Italy 50-10 in Rome in third gear, Galthie swapped out wing Teddy Thomas and flanker Dylan Cretin for Damian Penaud’s skill in the air and Anthony Jelonch’s greater intensity.

The rejuvenated French are on a mission to win the championship after missing out last year because of a red card against Scotland. They outclassed Ireland in Paris 35-27 in October. Ireland is more vulnerable this time.

“The players,” France manager Raphael Ibanez says, "want to seize every opportunity that comes.”

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Lineups:

Ireland: Hugo Keenan, Keith Earls, Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw, James Lowe, Billy Burns, Jamison Gibson-Park; CJ Stander, Josh van der Flier, Rhys Ruddock, Iain Henderson (captain), Tadhg Beirne, Andrew Porter, Rob Herring, Cian Healy. Reserves: Ronan Kelleher, Ed Byrne, Tadhg Furlong, Ultan Dillane, Will Connors, Craig Casey, Ross Byrne, Jordan Larmour.

France: Brice Dulin, Damian Penaud, Arthur Vincent, Gael Fickou, Gabin Villiere, Matthieu Jalibert, Antoine Dupont; Gregory Alldritt, Charles Ollivon (captain), Anthony Jelonch, Paul Willemse, Bernard Le Roux, Mohamed Haouas, Julien Marchand, Cyril Baille. Reserves: Pierre Bourgarit, Hassane Kolingar, Uini Atonio, Romain Taofifenua, Dylan Cretin, Baptiste Serin, Anthony Bouthier, Teddy Thomas.

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More AP sports coverage from Europe: https://apnews.com/hub/sports-europe and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

By FOSTER NIUMATA 13 February 2021, 12:00AM
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