Six Nations 2025: Five talking points from round four as France, Scotland and England win

Six Nations 2025: Five talking points from round four as France, Scotland and England win

Ireland’s goal this campaign was to become the first side in Six Nations history to win three successive outright titles.

Victories over England, Scotland and Wales secured the Triple Crown, and put interim Ireland head coach Simon Easterby two games from a Grand Slam.

But a ruthless France scored five tries in a clinical display to outclass Ireland on their own patch.

Their tally of 26 tries after four matches is just three shy of the overall championship record set by England in 2001.

Following a surprise defeat by England in round two, Galthie has opted for a 7-1 bench spilt, which helped inflict an 11-try hammering of Italy.

Ireland – like Italy in Rome – struggled once Galthie unloaded this powerful bench early in the second half, resulting in the most points the French have ever scored in Dublin.

“I have never seen an Irish pack dominated so much,” former Wales back Jonathan Davies told BBC’s Six Nations Rugby Special.

“Ireland have been very good and competed with everyone in the world, especially up front. The bench came on and blasted them.”

France even ended up with flanker Oscar Jegou playing at centre for a large chunk of the second half after Pierre-Louis Barassi went off injured.

The 21-year-old impressed out of position and put in a crunching covering crunching hit on Ireland fly-half Sam Prendergast to show incredible versatility.

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