RECAP: Willemse sees red as Ireland hammer France
France lock Paul Willemse was sent off in the 2024 Six Nations opener and Ireland took full advantage to score five tries against the hosts at Stade Velodrome in Marseille.
France lock Paul Willemse was sent off in the 2024 Six Nations opener and Ireland took full advantage to score five tries against the hosts at Stade Velodrome in Marseille.
Paul Willemse will play his first Test since last August when he starts for France in the Six Nations opener against defending champions Ireland in Marseille on Friday.
France hosted last year’s World Cup having won over a nation backing Fabien Galthie’s team for home glory and a first-ever Webb Ellis Cup.
Ireland will start their bid for a historic back-to-back Six Nations Grand Slam when they take on France in Marseille in the tournament’s mouth-watering opening match on Friday.
Tristan Leyds scored his third try of the weekend and set up another to help the Blitzboks beat France to finish fifth at the Perth Sevens on Sunday.
France’s hopes of reclaiming the Six Nations took another hammer blow following a long-term injury to a key member of the pack.
France kicking coach Vlok Cilliers accepts that the Springboks were the better team, and Les Bleus weren’t prejudiced against in the 2023 Rugby World Cup quarter-finals.
Joel Jutge, head of referees at World Rugby, has defended Ben O’Keeffe after Antoine Dupont criticised his officiating in the World Cup quarter-final between France and SA.
Gregory Alldritt will captain France in the Six Nations with regular skipper Antoine Dupont away on Olympic sevens duty, as the squad was announced on Wednesday.
The trailer for Six Nations: Full Contact, Netflix’s documentary giving a behind-the-scenes look at 2023 campaign, has been released.