CARDIFF, Wales — Ireland avoided a Rugby World Cup quarterfinal against the defending champion All Blacks by beating France 24-9 to secure first place in Pool D Sunday — but victory came at a cost for the Six Nations champion.
Star flyhalf Jonny Sexton, captain Paul O'Connell and flanker Peter O'Mahony all went off injured — the latter two on motorized stretchers — to likely leave the Irish without three of their most important players for a last-eight game against Argentina next Sunday.
Raising their intensity to levels previously unseen from them this tournament, the Irish led 9-6 at halftime and then scored tries through fullback Rob Kearney and scrumhalf Conor Murray. The noise and the predominance of green under the Millennium Stadium's closed roof made it feel like the game could have been in Dublin.
Ireland won all its pool games, justifying its pre-World Cup tag of Europe's leading contender. The French were blown away after the break and their first loss in the pool stage set up a quarterfinal against New Zealand, back in Cardiff Saturday.
