Rugby-France beat Ireland as Mermoz injured

BORDEAUX, France, Aug 13 (Reuters) - France outmuscled an understrength Ireland 19-12 in a World Cup warm-up match on Saturday but the hosts were forced to bring off injured centre Maxime Mermoz in the first half.

Mermoz appeared to have a knee injury and he was replaced in the 27 minute having been on the field for the only try of the game when Vincent Clerc touched down after a decent move 10 minutes earlier.
Debutant number eight Raphael Lakafia made the decisive break for the score to please coach Marc Lievremont in his team's first outing since a disappointing Six Nations.
Dimitri Yachvili, given a run out in place of Morgan Parra at scrumhalf, kicked the rest of France's points in Bordeaux with a conversion and four penalties.
Ronan O'Gara expertly slotted over Ireland's four penalties as Declan Kidney's side played much better in the second half compared to the first but they still lacked the bite of rested captain Brian O'Driscoll.

Ireland also lost 10-6 to Scotland last Saturday and will want to show an improvement when they welcome France to Dublin next weekend as preparations hot up for the Sept. 9-Oct. 23 World Cup in New Zealand.