Ireland U21 pay for errors

Errors cost the Ireland Under-21s as they went down 29-10 to their French counterparts in Strasbourg in the second round of Under-21 Six Nations matches.

With UCC prop Darragh Hurley in the sin-bin, the Irish conceded three tries either side of the break to see their hopes take a nose dive at the Centre Sportif de Hautepierre.

Mark McDermott's side travelled south on the back of an encouraging 34-9 home win against Italy, and they held their own in the first quarter against their heavily-touted hosts.

Lansdowne lock Devin Toner, standing at 6ft 10in, was a constant target for Irish captain Stuart Philpott in the lineout, and Jonathan Sexton offered an influential presence at fly half.

Sexton sent the 18-year-old centre Darren Cave haring through a gap after 16 minutes, only for the Belfast Harlequins flyer to be hauled down short of the home line.

Crucially, for all their early dominance, the Irish made no in-roads on the scoreboard. Sexton missed attempts at an opening penalty and drop goal, and had to watch helplessly as Stade Français prop Yohann Montes was driven over after a lineout maul on 20 minutes.

Pau's Lionel Beauxis converted and added a penalty before Sexton opened his account with a 32nd-minute penalty. Three minutes later, Hurley felt the wrath of Welsh referee Neil Ballard when he was sin-binned for slowing up ruck ball.

Tries from winger Gregory Puyo, Beauxis' team-mate at Pau, and Clermont lock Loic Jacquet followed for France before the break as they began to find their link men.

Les Bleus added a fourth try to their 22-3 half-time buffer through Toulouse centre Maxime Mermoz, just 11 seconds into the second half.

The Irish garnered a penalty try with the French guilty of a spate of infringements close to their line on 50 minutes. Sexton converted to pare the gap down to 29-10.

France then lost Jacquet to a yellow card, but their lead went untroubled in the final quarter.