The word that was forbidden in the French camp after the victory over England can be bawled from the rooftops of Paris: Grand Slam. And the little phrase that has often been the coaching curse in the modern game as moulded by the guru of the Gallic game, Bernard Laporte, found perfect expression in this performance: French flair.
France were fantastic. They destroyed Ireland with a power and a grace that sets them apart, perhaps even from England at their best. The Irish offered a challenge every bit as flimsy as their attempt to take Twickenham by storm, but it would have taken a side far better than Keith Wood's to stop France from completing the first clean sweep of the Six Nations.
Any notion that the game might settle into an opening period of cat and mouse, of investigative jab, lasted all the time it took for Ireland to lose their first two line-out throws. France were off. With a swipe of their claws they showed how to catch cleanly and drive. The Irish forwards were scattered. Keith Wood picked himself up to make a try-saving tackle in one corner, only to look up to see Serge Betsen storming over in the other. Welcome back, Woody.
In fact, the hooker did celebrate his return with something a tad more edifying. Rob Henderson, another to return from injury to find himself in the inferno, kicked ahead along the floor to earn Ireland a five-metre scrum. This time the Irish forwards pointed themselves in the right direction and drove hard. Peter Clohessy made ground and his captain surged on to the ball to pick up and dive over.
And that was the last time Ireland saw the ball for the remainder of the half. France could have scored a half-dozen tries before the break. Goodness, they were awesome. Galthié probed and Magne ranged wide and they cut through all the spaces in between at will. Ireland's revolt, which had led to the ousting of Warren Gatland in the autumn, had delivered the explosion of a backfire. The forwards who had once held their own against all-comers were in bits.
Gérald Merceron did the niggling points accumulation with a couple of penalties before the tries began to roll in. Off drove another line-out; Tony Marsh blasted up the middle to be joined on the gallop by both props, Pieter De Villiers and then Jean-Jacques Crenca. The perfection of the interlinking was completed as Nicolas Brusque outstripped even these front-row stormers for the second try.
Three minutes later something uglier struck the Irish. The ball popped out of a ruck on their side. Neat, except that only Galthié was waiting to pick it up. One flick to Aurelien Rougerie and the wing was running in from 40 metres.
Even when Ireland, late in the first half worked their way to within five metres of the French line, the line-out drive was comfortably withstood. And, when David Humphreys tried to release the backs, he dropped the ball. Humphreys has had two games to forget, against England and France. Which are the ones for which he will be remembered.
As the crowd cranked themselves up for the second-half fiesta, Merceron gave them a reminder of the iron will that rules this French team. He plonked over a couple of penalties. Flair would come after points on the board.
The crowd was in forgiving mood. David Bory soon had them squealing with pleasure as he cart-wheeled over and over through the tackles to set up a second try for Betsen. Ireland responded by wheeling off Clohessy. The old boy deserved a better send-off than this.
At least one of his team-mates was still giving it a go. Denis Hickie set off on a one-man pursuit of a kick downfield by Ronan O'Gara, now on for Humphreys. Betsen went from try-scorer to deep-coverer to keep the winger out.
Hickie tried again. This time with the ball in hand. He danced to the corner, but France were in no mood to be generous. The iron will runs deep into defence too, a fortress mentality built by their English assistant to Laporte, Dave Ellis. Hickie was forced into touch at the corner.
France rang the changes - a rare concession to party-spirit. Two of the newcomers, François Gelez and Remy Martin combined to set up a run-in for Brusque. Perhaps it was not such a concession to the spirit of the day; perhaps Laporte wanted his squad to keep issuing reminders to each other. Go out there and compete for places. The coach can tell his players what he wants at the moment. They have put nine wins together on the trot, a series ending in a grand slam. Richly deserved, richly enjoyable. France have knocked off Europe; in this form they can take the world.
Man of the match: Fabien Galthié
Ever since he took charge of the French team on their arduous tour of South Africa and New Zealand last summer the scrum-half has been France's inspiration. Already renowned as the best defensive scrum-half in the game, he has heaped layers of attacking menace on his game. His players love him, even if they are sometimes slightly spooked by the intensity their captain brings to the game. He was colossal again, darting through half-gaps near the fringes of rucks, competing for every inch of territory and then driving his players forward by pass or by the force of his tongue. The boy has presence. And beneath the most competitive spirit you'll ever meet in the game, there clicks a cool brain. He inspires passion but operates with clinical efficiency. Not just the man of the match, but the player of the season.
France: Brusque; Rougerie, Marsh, Traille, Bory (Marlu 73); Merceron (Gelez 61), Galthié (capt; Mignoni 73); Crenca, Ibañez (Azam 74), De Villiers (Poux 61), Pelous, Brouzet (Auradou 71), Betsen, Magne (Martin 73), Harinordoquy.
Ireland: Dempsey; Horgan, O'Driscoll, Henderson, Hickie; Humphreys (O'Gara 49), Stringer; Clohessy (P Wallace 60), Wood (capt), Hayes, Longwell (O'Connell 62), O'Kelly, S Easterby, D Wallace (Gleeson 49), Foley.
Referee: P. O'Brien (New Zealand).
Match stats
Ball carries 12; Metres 39; Total passes 71; Turnovers conceded 2 ; Turnovers won 1; Off-loads 2; Tackles 6; Missed tackles 0; Try assists 1
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