Category News

Men’s Six Nations

Ireland (6) 27

Tries: Sheehan, Healy, Conan Cons: Prendergast 3 Pens: Prendergast 2

France (8) 42

Rampant France took control of the Six Nations title race as they scored 34 unanswered points to beat Ireland in Dublin and end the home side’s Grand Slam hopes.

Despite losing captain Antoine Dupont to injury after 30 minutes, France scored three second-half tries to move two points clear of Ireland at the top and avenge last year’s defeat in Marseille.

Tournament top scorer Louis Bielle-Biarrey crossed twice for Les Bleus while Paul Boudehent, Oscar Jegou and Damian Penaud all scored in a stunning bonus-point triumph.

Dan Sheehan’s early second-half try put Ireland – who temporarily lost Joe McCarthy and Calvin Nash to yellow cards in either half – 13-8 up but France’s response was emphatic as they put themselves in pole position before hosting Scotland in their final game.

Ireland, however, must beat Italy in Rome next week and hope other results go their way as they chase an unprecedented third straight Six Nations title.

This was a devastating defeat for Ireland – their first at home in the Six Nations since France won in Dublin in 2021 – and for retiring trio Peter O’Mahony, Cian Healy and Conor Murray.

Their woes began before kick-off when they lost James Lowe to a back injury sustained in the warm-up, the wing replaced by Calvin Nash as Jamie Osborne switched wings.

Lowe’s last-minute withdrawal did not rattle Ireland, who started with serious focus and intent.

However, despite 13 minutes of sustained pressure, the champions failed to pocket an opening score – fly-half Sam Prendergast’s first kick at goal struck a post – before France showcased their devastating counter-attacking threat.

After Penaud stole Hugo Keenan’s attempted pass to Bundee Aki, the winger sped away and fed scrum-half Dupont, who left Prendergast in his wake to score. But following a lengthy TMO review, the try was ruled out for a knock-on.

From there, the momentum shifted dramatically, and after McCarthy was yellow carded for cynically pulling back Thomas Ramos, France immediately capitalised on their numerical advantage as Dupont sent Bielle-Biarrey over for his sixth try of the tournament.

That would be one of Dupont’s last acts, though, as a knee injury sustained in a collision with Ireland hooker Sheehan forced the French captain off to be replaced by Maxime Lucu, France’s solitary backline replacement after head coach Fabien Galthie opted to pack seven forwards on to his bench.

Like they did in the first half, Ireland came flying out of the traps after the restart and scored within three minutes when Sheehan touched down in the corner from a maul.

Prendergast converted and Ireland led 13-8, but that was as good as it got for the hosts as France hit back swiftly through Flament.

Ireland felt Flament should have been penalised for taking out Peter O’Mahony off the ball and their frustrations deepened when Nash was shown a yellow card for head-on-head contact with Pierre-Louis Barassi.

From there, France seized control, Bielle-Biarrey racing on to his own kick to score his second at the end of another electric counter-attack.

Replacement flanker Jegou – filling in at centre following Barassi’s injury – sealed the visitors ‘ bonus point, and while Flament was sin-binned soon after, Penaud compounded Irish misery with a signature breakaway score.

After Ramos intercepted Prendergast’s pass, Penaud ecstatically dove over the line as he equalled Serge Blanco’s French record of 38 tries.

France’s 42-point haul was the most they have ever scored in Dublin and with 26 tries they are just three shy of England’s championship record set in 2001.

Having felt the full force of a ferocious French performance, Ireland did score late tries through Healy and Jack Conan.

Replacements: Herring, Healy, Clarkson, Ryan, Conan, Baird, Murray, Crowley.

Sin-bin: McCarthy (20), Nash (47)

France: Ramos, Penaud, Barassi, Moefana, Bielle-Biarrey, Ntamack, Dupont (capt), Gros, Mauvaka, Atonio, Flament, Guillard, Cros, Boudehent, Alldritt.

Replacements: Marchand, Baille, Aldegheri, Meafou, Auradou, Jegou, Jelonch, Lucu.

Sin-bin: Flament (74)

Battered and bruised world champion Tadej Pogacar recovered from a crash to beat Tom Pidcock and retain his Strade Bianche title with another famous victory.

Pogacar and Pidcock went clear with 78.5km of the race remaining, before the UAE Team Emirates rider went down at high speed on a corner with 50km to go in Italy.

The reigning Tour de France champion swiftly got back to his feet and caught back up to the Briton, the 2023 winner, who eased off once it was apparent Pogacar was continuing to race after the accident.

The 26-year-old Slovenian then made his move on the penultimate gravel sector, with 18.6km to go, and went clear to win by one minute and 24 seconds.

“I enjoyed it until I crossed the finish line”, he said. “Now the adrenaline has started to wear off and I’m feeling a lot of pain.

“]It’s] not the best way to win a race, but a win is a win. Let’s hope it’s nothing worse than it looks. All should be fine. “

Pidcock came home second in Siena in Tuscany, while Belgium’s Tim Wellens completed the podium, two minutes and 12 seconds after his team-mate Pogacar.

The three-time Tour de France winner completed the prestigious 213km race in five hours 13 minutes and 58 seconds.

Pidcock has made a promising start to life with his new team Q36.5, and he and Pogacar went clear fractionally later than when Pogacar launched his solo attack to win last year’s race.

On a descent with 50km to go, Pogacar misjudged a corner and ended up sliding into a thorn bush, but he rose quickly, sporting what appeared to be superficial but painful injuries to his left shoulder and hip.

Ineos Grenadiers rider Connor Swift had battled gamely to hang on to the back of the lead pair after being caught by Pogacar and Pidcock.

But Pogacar soon caught Swift, who was delayed by the crash, and was closing on his compatriot Pidcock when the leader sportingly sat up.

That allowed Pogacar to get back with Pidcock 46km from the line and set up a thrilling finish, in which Pogacar attacked on the Colle Pinzuto climb.

He had a 30-second lead when he finished that sector, led by 50 heading into the final gravel sector, and by more than a minute with 10km to go.

On his crash, Pogacar added:” I went too fast I guess. I know this road very well. I’ve ridden it 20 times in my life but sometimes you misjudge.

“I slipped and it happens. I was a bit worried because a crash takes a lot out of you but I had enough to finish it off”.

This is the fourth time Pidcock has raced the Strade Bianche and the 25-year-old has never finished outside the top five.

Battered and bruised world champion Tadej Pogacar recovered from a crash to beat Tom Pidcock and retain his Strade Bianche title with another famous victory.

Pogacar and Pidcock went clear with 78.5km of the race remaining, before the UAE Team Emirates rider went down at high speed on a corner with 50km to go in Italy.

The reigning Tour de France champion swiftly got back to his feet and caught back up to the Briton, the 2023 winner, who eased off once it was apparent Pogacar was continuing to race after the accident.

The 26-year-old Slovenian then made his move on the penultimate gravel sector, with 18.6km to go, and went clear to win by one minute and 24 seconds.

“I enjoyed it until I crossed the finish line”, he said. “Now the adrenaline has started to wear off and I’m feeling a lot of pain.

“]It’s] not the best way to win a race, but a win is a win. Let’s hope it’s nothing worse than it looks. All should be fine. “

Pidcock came home second in Siena in Tuscany, while Belgium’s Tim Wellens completed the podium, two minutes and 12 seconds after his team-mate Pogacar.

The three-time Tour de France winner completed the prestigious 213km race in five hours 13 minutes and 58 seconds.

Pidcock has made a promising start to life with his new team Q36.5, and he and Pogacar went clear fractionally later than when Pogacar launched his solo attack to win last year’s race.

On a descent with 50km to go, Pogacar misjudged a corner and ended up sliding into a thorn bush, but he rose quickly, sporting what appeared to be superficial but painful injuries to his left shoulder and hip.

Ineos Grenadiers rider Connor Swift had battled gamely to hang on to the back of the lead pair after being caught by Pogacar and Pidcock.

But Pogacar soon caught Swift, who was delayed by the crash, and was closing on his compatriot Pidcock when the leader sportingly sat up.

That allowed Pogacar to get back with Pidcock 46km from the line and set up a thrilling finish, in which Pogacar attacked on the Colle Pinzuto climb.

He had a 30-second lead when he finished that sector, led by 50 heading into the final gravel sector, and by more than a minute with 10km to go.

On his crash, Pogacar added:” I went too fast I guess. I know this road very well. I’ve ridden it 20 times in my life but sometimes you misjudge.

“I slipped and it happens. I was a bit worried because a crash takes a lot out of you but I had enough to finish it off”.

This is the fourth time Pidcock has raced the Strade Bianche and the 25-year-old has never finished outside the top five.

Stuart Bingham will take on Neil Robertson for the World Grand Prix title in Hong Kong after holding off world number one Judd Trump to reach his first ranking final in six years.

England’s Bingham, the 2015 world champion, beat Trump 6-3 after Robertson had fought back from 5-3 down to edge out Masters champion Shaun Murphy 6-5.

Australian Robertson, 43, knocked in three centuries, including a 114 break in the deciding frame, to reach Sunday’s best-of-19-frames final.

The left-hander was 19th in the world rankings before the World Grand Prix, but his run to the final has boosted his hopes of returning to the top 16 and therefore securing an automatic spot at the World Championship in April.

The 2010 world champion was beaten in qualifying last year, ending a run of 19 consecutive appearances at the Crucible Theatre.

Murphy, who won the world title as a qualifier in 2005, is faced with potentially needing to go through that route again to reach the main draw in Sheffield this year.

There are two ranking events remaining before the cut-off point for World Championship seedings – the Players Championship and the Tour Championship.

The 42-year-old Englishman, who was 12th in the world before the World Grand Prix started, will be defending a huge tally of ranking points in those two events, having won both in 2023.

Later, Bingham – the 2016 World Grand Prix runner-up – edged a scrappy opener against Trump before recording his solitary century break as he took a 5-1 lead.

Knocks of 124 and 72 followed for Trump as he launched a comeback charge, but a missed red allowed his opponent to seal the win.

Bingham’s last ranking final was the 2019 Gibraltar Open, which he won for his sixth title.

“I’m over the moon”, he said. “I had a little tear there at the table, because it has been a long time. It has been hard.

” Without a doubt, I’ve wondered if I ever would get back in a ranking final. The last few years haven’t been good on my part.