It was a weekend to forget for Irish Rugby, as all three teams lost their respective matches. An unfamiliar situation for Irish Rugby as of late, but slightly worrying, nonetheless.
Up first was the senior men’s team. On Thursday night, they played in the opening game of this year’s Six Nations against France in Paris. After finishing third in last year’s tournament, Andy Farrell’s side would have hoped to put up a better performance against the reigning champions. An injury-stricken Irish side conceded a total of five tries, two from last year’s player of the tournament, Louis Bielle Biarrey.
⚡️ Try France! Louise Bielle-Biarrey shows blistering pace to open the scoring. France 5–0 Ireland#VMSport #GuinnessM6N #FravIre pic.twitter.com/z7MO7GOzar
— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) February 5, 2026
Ireland struggled to deal with the aerial battle despite kicking a total of 39 times during the game, as well as the physical battle. As Jeremy Clarkson once said “speed and power…. that is the solution”, and France had both of these in abundance.
The final score was 36 – 24 to Les Blues. A positive to take from the game was that the bench did make an impact. Ireland’s only two tries came from Timoney and Milne, both who came on in the second half, with the final score 36 – 14 to Les Blues.
In the second match of the weekend, Ireland ‘A’ were in action against England ‘A’ in Thomond Park. Head coach Cullie Tucker had a team mixed with both experience and several unfamiliar faces. Max Deegan captained the side who conceded eight tries to a much more fluid and cohesive England team.
Andy Farrell and his fellow coaches sat in the stands and watched on as the visiting side completely outplayed Ireland, with the scoreline finishing 14 – 52 to the visitors. Though, it is important to note that the Ireland squad only formerly assembled for the first time on Monday, a mere five days before the game.
And lastly, the Ireland Under 20’s played against France in Perpignan, in the opening round of the Under 20’s Six Nations. Like the senior team, the French Under 20’s were also last year’s champions.
The final Irish side in action would have hoped to end the weekend on a high for Irish rugby but were ultimately outclassed by the French, with the final score finishing 50 – 21.
It’s clear to see that Irish rugby is in a transitional period after a spout of success in the last number of years. Ireland have dropped to fifth in the World Rugby rankings, their lowest ranking in four years. The narrative around Irish rugby is most definitely changing, and it is plenty for the IRFU to think about and reflect on.
It was an overall humbling weekend for all Irish sides, who will undoubtedly try and bounce back next week. The Under 20’s play Italy in Virgin Media Park on Friday, February 13, and the senior men’s team also face Italy in the Aviva Stadium on Saturday, February 14.