MARSEILLE, France (AP) — France lock Paul Willemse was sent off for a second yellow card as they fell to Ireland by a record 38-17 in their Six Nations showdown on Friday.
Willemse’s ejection reduced France to 14 men while it was trailing Ireland 17-3 in the 32nd minute.
Both of his yellow cards were for head contact in tackles. The first occasion was a shoulder to the head of prop Andrew Porter in the eighth minute that earned him 10 minutes in the sin-bin. The fateful second time was a straight up hit on No. 8 Caelan Doris, who was already being tackled by Willemse’s fellow lock, Paul Gabrillagues.
It was Willemse’s second red card in a test match. He was sent off against Wales in the 2021 Six Nations, but it was late in the game and France held on and won.
Playing his first test since August, Willemse was a late injury replacement in the France squad.
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AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby
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