Comprehensive Irish victory nails French Six Nation ambitions

Johnny Sexton made a tremendous return to international duty by guiding Ireland to a 19-9 victory over France at Dublin's Lansdowne Road on Saturday, adding pressure on favourites England.

France's Maxime Medard (centre) is tackled by Ireland's Eoin Reddan during their Six Nations tournament match at Stade de France near Paris on Saturday.

Sexton, the 31-year-old flyhalf, was returning to the side after a spate of injuries, and he gave Ireland a 10-point lead with two penalties and a long-range drop goal early in the second half in what was his first Test appearance since he faced the All Blacks in Dublin in November.

Ireland scrum-half Conor Murray scored the only try of the match, with Sexton converting that first-half effort in a tally that also included two penalties and a drop-goal.

France dominated the opening quarter - they looked to be in control and their 6-0 lead should have been more. The centre Rémi Lamerat was denied a try on review for the second match running after Yoann Huget’s loss of possession after he had caught Camille Lopez’s cross-kick that was ruled to have gone forward. It was again a marginal call but after that Sexton took over, showing he is not an automatic by going through the gears manually.

Both sides started brightly with Sexton immediately asserting himself although one wayward kick went out on the full to give the French a line-out at halfway.

The visitors made the most of this rare error, culminating in a superb solo break by scrum-half Baptiste Serin which saw him brought down inside the Irish 22.

An Irish infringement allowed Lopez a simple pop at goal and he put France 3-0 ahead in the 12th minute.

France had the upper hand, especially in the scrum, and looked to have scored a try through Remi Lamerat only for Gael Fickou to be judged to have knocked on earlier in the move.

Finally, after almost 30 minutes, Ireland came alive, thanks to Sexton, who broke into space and chipped over the French defence only for Noa Nakaitaci to get back and touch down, with Keith Earls breathing down his neck.

Right after that, Ireland had a try.

Ireland captain Rory Best opted for a scrum when awarded a penalty and from the ensuing set-piece, Murray darted over for his 10th Test try, Sexton converting to edge the Irish 7-6 ahead.

Victory made it two wins from three for Ireland this tournament but for France it was yet another setback on foreign soil, with their woeful Six Nations away record now standing at just three wins -- two against Italy and one over Scotland -- in 15 games.

This was probably Ireland’s biggest win in the Championship over France since their 25-6 win in the old Lansdowne Road back in 1975.

And the loss left France, on five points, in the bottom half of the table where they have finished every Six Nations championship for the past five years.