The Irish responded magnificently with a penalty try, a touchdown by David Wallace and a Ronan O'Gara penalty - his third of the game - but they ran out of time to complete what would have been an amazing comeback.

Aurelien Rougerie brought the crowd to life in the third minute with a mazy, 70-yard run that began near his own line. Ireland infringed but Jean-Baptiste Elissalde missed the resulting penalty from just 25 metres out.

Moments later Julien Bonnaire crossed the try-line but was held up by a stretched Irish defence as he attempted to ground the ball.

Ireland looked to have weathered that early storm but, in the 13th minute, France scored the opening try of the game when Elissalde, capitalising on turnover ball, punted a disguised kick deep into the left corner.

Clerc easily beat Denis Leamy in a race for the loose ball and grounded with ease. Elissalde converted, but O'Gara reduced the arrears with a penalty for 7-3.

Clerc was at it again in the 19th minute, though, running onto Skrela's pass to grab his second try in the left corner. Elissalde missed the extras.

O'Gara slotted over another penalty in the 29th minute to keep the visitors in touch but Clerc capped a tremendous personal first-half display by completing his hat-trick in the 36th minute.

Toulouse team-mate Heymans sprinted into space down the left before feeding Clerc, who glided over under the posts untouched. Elissalde converted to leave Les Bleus way clear at 19-6.

After a slow start to the second half Heymans blazed over in the 50th minute for the hosts' fourth try when Elissalde's low kick rebounded off the midriff of Brian O'Driscoll into the path of the onrushing Heymans, who sprinted clear of the covering defence.

Elissalde's conversion from under the sticks put Les Bleus 26-6 up and there was seemingly no way back for the Irish.

Referee Nigel Owens did, however, offer Eddie O'Sullivan's men a silver lining in awarding Ireland a penalty try just before the hour mark for persistent French infringing at scrums inches from their try-line.

O'Gara converted for a 26-13 scoreline heading into the final 20 minutes.

And in the 61st minute David Wallace burrowed through from close range to reach out and ground with his fingertips.

The score needed the say-so from upstairs but O'Gara missed with his conversion, it was an eight-point game at 26-18.

O'Driscoll was becoming increasingly prominent but his long pass out left to Geordan Murphy went awry and France breathed again.

O'Gara set up a tense final five minutes when he knocked over a penalty from the left flank but despite more pressure, time was not on Ireland's side and France hung on for a narrow win.