Ireland interim boss Simon Easterby has expressed his disappointment with the comments made by France coach Fabien Galthie regarding the Antoine Dupont injury incident, calling them “not acceptable”.
Les Bleus won 42-27 in Dublin to end Ireland’s Grand Slam hopes and move into pole position for the Six Nations title.
But the post-match discussion was dominated by the season-ending knee injury suffered by France captain Dupont, who ruptured an ACL when Ireland forwards Tadhg Beirne and Andrew Porter cleared out a ruck.
Galthie branded the actions of Beirne and Porter “reprehensible” and reported the pair to the match’s citing commissioner. No retrospective action was taken, though.
“Without getting myself into trouble here, I just think it’s the game unfortunately,” said Easterby, whose side are preparing to complete the championship away to Italy on Saturday afternoon.
“No player goes out to intentionally injure another player. For everyone, or for the majority of people watching, looking at it afterwards, everyone felt like it was a rugby incident which was really unfortunate.
“Whatever the insinuations were from different people post-game, it’s disappointing because the unfortunate thing is people who don’t really understand the game pick up on it.”
Dupont – widely regarded as the world’s best player – was attempting to steal the ball in the 28th minute when lock Beirne landed on his right leg as prop Porter joined the ruck.
Easterby said the post-match remarks from the French camp created a situation where “people are getting abuse”.
“It’s just unnecessary and not acceptable,” he said. “It happens, we know it happens, but those things could have been avoided had maybe other things been said post-game by certain individuals.
Antoine Dupont. (Photo by Franco Arland/Getty Images)
“The French camp have obviously come out pretty strongly and it could have been handled in a better way.
“On the back of that, it’s created some unnecessary ill-feeling and it has affected other people in the wider group.”
Mack Hansen is back for Ireland for their final Six Nations clash with Italy in Rome, still harbouring faint hopes alongside his Canberra colleague Finlay Bealham that they can lift a third straight title.
But while Ireland’s Australian pair are back in tandem, Scotland’s former Wallaby Jack Dempsey has been struck by an injury which will force him out of their team for the tournament’s climax against title favourites France in Paris on Saturday.
Winger Hansen has had a frustrating tournament, having to come off with a gashed leg in the opening game against England, then missing both the matches against Scotland and France with injury.
But after the quad trouble that kept him out of the defeat by France, he’s fit again for a clash which could still see Ireland snatch an unlikely last-gasp title ‘threepeat’.
Jack Crowley will start at flyhalf in Rome on Saturday, with Hansen, James Lowe and Garry Ringrose all returning as the Irish try to secure the high-scoring win that would keep their chances alive.
They can still win an unprecedented third crown in a row with a bonus-point win over Italy, but only if France fail to defeat Scotland and they nip ahead of second-placed England.
It’s still a long shot but Easterby hasn’t ruled it out. Tadhg Furlong, who missed the first four games with injury, is fit enough to return to the bench but Canberran Bealham will be the starting tight-head prop.
Ireland will face an Italy team who, despite making seven changes for their final match, will include their own Australian star, Melburnian winger Monty Ioane.
The Azzurri will be hoping to avoid bottom place and the wooden spoon for the second successive year.
For the French finale, there was disappointment for Sydneysider Dempsey, who had expected to again be spearheading a Scotland team trying to be ‘party poopers’ by derailing the home side’s title charge in Paris.
But the 30-year-old has suffered a hamstring injury, leaving Matt Fagerson to replace him.
Gregor Brown has also been brought into the second row to replace Jonny Gray, who drops to the bench.
© AAP
