Joe Schmidt: Ireland head coach taking all the positives from a bonus point win over French

Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt will not dwell too much on two late French tries which took the gloss of an improved display by his side in Dublin on Sunday.

By Richard Mulligan

Published 10th Mar 2019, 16:54 BST

Updated 10th Mar 2019, 18:00 BST

Four tries - Rory Best, Jonathan Sexton, Jack Conan and Keith Earls - all crossing have put Ireland into a 26-0 lead and fully deserving off their dominance of the game.

But in the last two minutes the French grabbed two consolation tries.

However, Schmidt is taking the positives from the victory in spite of those late scores.

He said: "We got the four tries and the bonus point which could be crucial even in the placement of where we end up next week.

"There was so much positivity around that first-half performance, to dominate a side in a Six Nations game is rare."

Schmidt is set to stand down from his position at the conclusion of the World Cup, coinciding with Rory Best's playing retirement.

Schmidt added of his captain: "It will potentially be his last (Six Nations game) and it'll definitely be my last. It's a fairly poignant one."

Ireland Six Nations