THE Six Nations got off to the worst possible start for France after Paul Willemse was sent off following two yellow cards.
Willemse found himself in the sin bin inside the first ten minutes following a head collision with Andrew Porter.
PAWillemse was shown a red card after receiving a second yellow[/caption]
It was his second high tackle of the half
Referee Karl Dickson and match official Ben Whitehouse decided that the incident met the yellow card threshold and sent it to the TMO bunker for a longer assessment.
Within the permitted eight minutes, the foul play official ruled that the incident was not worthy of an upgrade, and Willemse returned.
But remarkably, just ten minutes later, the lock was in trouble again.
With the holders Ireland leading 17-3, Willemse forcefully hit Caelan Doris in the 32nd minute way too high for the referee’s liking.
The second shoulder to the head of the half brought a second yellow, and Willemse his marching orders.
The Frenchman led with his shoulder for both tackles and didn’t wrap his arms – something that could be considered a straight red itself.
But the incident galvanised the Les Bleus as they hit back with a try through Damian Penaud just before halftime.
Ireland went into the break with a 17-10 lead after dealing well with the intimidating atmosphere in Marseille.
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Supporters took to social media to ridicule the reckless mistake.
One fan wrote: “I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone get sent off for two yellow cards before.”
Another said: “That was completely brainless.”
France are already without the world’s best player Antonie Dupont, following his decision to opt out of the Six Nations.
The French captain is taking a break from the XVs game to focus on Sevens and competing in the upcoming Paris Olympics.