Ireland player ratings after a good day at the Aviva

Player ratings for the men in green.

Ireland player ratings after a good day at the Aviva

Player ratings for the men in green.

15 Rob Kearney: A very solid effort from the Leinster stalwart that was only cut short by a potential groin injury 7/10

Jonathan Sexton, left, of Ireland high fives teammate Rob Keraney after he kicked a drop goal during the RBS Six Nations Rugby Championship game between Ireland and France at the Aviva Stadium in Lansdowne Road, Dublin. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
Jonathan Sexton, left, of Ireland high fives teammate Rob Keraney after he kicked a drop goal during the RBS Six Nations Rugby Championship game between Ireland and France at the Aviva Stadium in Lansdowne Road, Dublin. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

14 Keith Earls: The Munster flyer produced a teak-tough defensive showing and almost cut loose on several occasions 7

13 Garry Ringrose: The young centre's neat footwork so nearly bisected France on a host of occasions - a constant danger 7

12 Robbie Henshaw: His bullocking drive set up Ireland's try, scything over the advantage line to open the door for Murray to snipe in 7

11 Simon Zebo: Continues to threaten when he cuts in off his wing but Ireland are still not playing with a great amount of width 7

10 Johnny Sexton: The talismanic playmaker was back in his match-winning groove with no delay after his month out through calf trouble 9

9 Conor Murray: Another sumptuous display from the inch-perfect Munster scrum-half, who looks nailed-on at present for the British and Irish Lions' nine shirt 9

Ireland's Conor Murray with Baptiste Serin of FranceMandatory Credit. INPHO/Dan Sheridan
Ireland's Conor Murray with Baptiste Serin of FranceMandatory Credit. INPHO/Dan Sheridan

1 Jack McGrath: Struggled early on in the scrummage but built steadily as Ireland improved through the course of the match. Solid overall 7

2 Rory Best (capt): Rock-solid in the lineout and upped the ante at the scrum after a poor start. The captain delivered again 8

3 Tadhg Furlong: Copped a nasty shoulder to the face but battled on regardless for another impressive turn on the tighthead 8

4 Donnacha Ryan: Slightly below-par by his own lofty standards but still got through a mountain of work in the tight exchanges 7

5 Devin Toner: Bossed the lineout for Ireland in a critical area to deny France plenty of platforms. Tidy day's work overall 7

6 CJ Stander: The Munster battering ram just does not know how to produce a poor showing in a Test shirt for Ireland. Terrorised France all day 8

7 Sean O'Brien: His burgeoning partnership with Stander bore yet more fruit here, with France unsure how to shut the twin ball-carriers down 8

8 Jamie Heaslip: Binding the graft of Stander and O'Brien together with some style at present - the ideal scenario for Joe Schmidt 7

Replacements: Ireland emptied the whole bench barring tighthead John Ryan, with Andrew Trimble offering a solid half-hour shift in replacing Rob Kearney. Niall Scannell kept his calm in a late cameo replacing Rory Best, while Peter O'Mahony also put himself about: 7.

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