Furious France demand explanation over Antoine Dupont injury as Irish duo cited

Fabien Galthie has confirmed France have cited Tadhg Beirne and Andrew Porter over their alleged role in Antoine Dupont's match-ending knee injury in Dublin.

The talismanic scrum-half was forced off during the first half of his side's dominant 42-27 win after Beirne appeared to fall on his leg as Porter joined a ruck.

Galthie, speaking after the game, said there was "anger" in the French camp over the incident, and confirmed the 28-year-old looks to have suffered a serious knee injury.

Dupont certainly looked in a large amount of discomfort on the back of the incident, and had to be helped off the field, before he was replaced by Maxime Lucu.

"We named the players [who made contact with Dupont], Tadhg Beirne and Andrew Porter, who should appear before the disciplinary commission," Galthie said.

"We want explanations, so we've named two players. We have to protect our players. There are means, there are rules. There is some kind of anger."

Ireland interim head coach Simon Easterby, however, back his players after the game, insisting the injury arrived on the back of a "rugby incident".

"Tadhg [Beirne] cleans out someone in front of Antoine Dupont and he gets hit on the back of it. It happens, unfortunately," he said.

"We have moved away and players have a real awareness now of clearing out on the lower limb of the player, which can create that type of injury that might have happened today, but that wasn't the case.

"He was securing his own ball and not making contact on Dupont. Unfortunately that happens. The guy that Tadhg hit was hit on to Dupont. It's just one of those things unfortunately. It happens in the game."