France v Ireland live: Les Bleus lay down Six Nations title marker with Paris thrashing

An impressive performance form Les Bleus. Here’s the best of their tries

And they said that Antoine Dupont and Matthieu Jalibeart couldn’t play together; consider that notion most definitively dismissed.

On a night of real Gallic charm, France laid down a Six Nations marker with a display of ambition and attacking skill to rival any that they have produced during the recent restoration of the French monarchy in this competition.

Led by their half-backs, the defending champions looked down on a fellow contender and perhaps exiled them for good, leaving Ireland confronting the grim realities of what feels a sharp decline.

Read Harry Latham-Coyle’s full report from Paris:

It’s all over in Paris. A completely dominant first half from France, where they took the game away from Ireland.

Once they went 29-0 behind, the Irish started to play and gave their hosts a slight scare but they had way too much to do and a last-gasp try was the cherry on top.

A glorious beginning to this Six Nations for the reigning champions

There’s the final flourish! Serin zooms forward, darting between tacklers and into the 22. Through the phases and eventually there’s an overlap on the right, through the hands, out to Theo Attissogbe who slips through a lunging tackle and acrobatically dots down in the corner.

A nice try and Ramos hammers the conversion between the uprights to add more gloss to the final scoreline.

Can France finish with a flourish? Jalibert with a probing kick into touch in the 22 and he takes a big hit from Ryan for his troubles. Was that slightly late? The ball was certainly gone...

They deem he was already committed so no foul.

Here come France again now. The power game has come back. Auradou steals the ball and Meafou barrels forward. Jalibert finds Deporteere who makes more yards.

They surging through the 22 and reach the line but just held up over. Ireland clear the goal-line dropout but Les Bleus are right back to it, flow right, through the hands and it’s deft play by young Kalvin Gourgues but just into touch.

Ireland win the lineout despite the jeers and boot clear

Brilliant thump clear by Dupont, from his own line, into the Ireland half and into touch. Class, once again. That’s his final act as Baptiste Serin comes on. Big ovation for Antoine.

It looks like they’ll see this out despite Ireland’s late surge.

Doris on the end of the lineout and Osborne takes them into the 22. A couple of phases and Conan drives them within five metres...

Good, clean rugby so far in these phases by the visitors. They grind to a halt after 17 phases though. And Doris takes contact but knocks on in the tackle.

It gets a bit weird after that and Ireland somehow touch down for a try but we have a TMO check but eventually decide to just have a French scrum for the Doris knock-on

The French defence is getting off the line quickly now, forcing Ireland back although they concede a penalty for offside and Prendergast kicks to touch on the 22.

Jelonch with a big hit on Beirne before Meafou and Mauvaka come to join the party. It forces the turnover on their own 22 - better defence by France, who have been under serious pressure.

The problem for Ireland is that time is ticking away. They can ill-afford any mistakes. A reset at the subsequent scrum doesn’t help either before Dupont fizzes a low kick clear, safely into Irish territory.