Yet they were made to pay for their indiscipline which was ruthlessly punished by the boots of Morgan Parra and Dimitri Yachvili with Maxime Médard's 55th-minute try proving enough to keep France's 100per cent record intact.

But Ireland could have snatched victory in a thrilling finale and replacement hooker Sean Cronin will have nightmares after dropping the ball with the try line begging at the death.

Ireland had dominated the first half scoring two tries but led just 15-12 at the break as Parra punished their indiscipline to keep the visitors in touch.

And in a pulsating second half first France seized momentum before Ireland hauled their way back into it only to fall short at the death

Kidney's side dominated the opening exchanges and Luke Fitzgerald thought he had scored after just two minutes as Ireland pounded the French line.

Referee Dave Pearson called Fitzgerald back for a forward pass but the respite was only temporary for France as Clément Poitrenaud dropped a simple pass to gift possession to Ireland in the visitors 22.

Ireland piled on the pressure and McFadden picked and went, diving under the tackle of Thomas Domingo for a first try in Ireland colours. Sexton adding the extras.

Les Bleus were clearly rattled and Damien Traille's restart barely went a metre handing the initiative back to the home side.

Sexton and Parra then exchanged penalties before the diminutive scrum-half chipped away at the Irish lead.

McFadden was penalised for holding on after a poor pass from Sexton and Parra knocked over the penalty.

And Ireland's indiscipline cost them again as they failed to roll away after a tackle on Traille with Parra again adding three points.

Donncha O'Callaghan then failed to release Parra who gave France the lead despite a lacklustre first half hour by the visitors.

A doubt before the start of the game, O'Leary gave Ireland a deserved lead just before half-time.

The Munster scrum-half burrowed over despite the attentions of Nicolas Mas after more pressure from the hosts but Sexton missed the conversion.

The second half followed a similar pattern to the first as Paul O'Connell was penalised and Parra levelled it up.

And despite Ireland dominating proceedings, France clinically finished off their first real opportunity as Médard went over.

Off the back of a scrum on halfway Aurélien Rougerie ran straight and Gordon D'Arcy missed a simple tackle.

The Clermont centre then drew in Fitzgerald before releasing Médard on his shoulder for the score.

Immediately after Rory Best was penalised allowing replacement Yachvili to stretch the French lead to ten.

But the hosts were not out of it yet as Heaslip got them right back into it diving over in the corner after incessant pressure on the French line.

And Ireland then raced the length of the pitch only for Cronin to drop the ball with the try line inches away.