Wales 20 France 26: match report

By Brendan Gallagher at the Millennium Stadium Published: 9:55PM GMT twenty-six February 2010

Easy: early in the compare French winger Alexis Palisson intercepted a prolonged pass dictated for Jamie Roberts and sprinted from median to measure underneath the posts Photo: GETTY IMAGES

If usually Wales would fool around for the full 80 minutes. For the second Six Nations diversion in period they mounted the majority stirring of comebacks but this time there was no fairytale ending, the sporting Gods were seeking the alternative way, their humanity exhausted.

Wales, in fact, played most improved and for extremely longer last night than they did during their conspicuous quip win opposite Scotland but this time there was small discernible reward, usually honour in a brave, if blunder strewn, opening as they attempted to scratch behind twenty point half-time deficit.

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There was additionally the satisfaction of nonetheless an additional Shane Williams special, a enchanting jinking last-minute try by the Osprey on his 33rd birthday that took him to nineteen Championship tries easing him past the prior Welsh jot down of Gareth Edwards. A impulse enjoyed by all rugby fans in any case of allegiance.

Warren Gatlands group attempted to be certain in the initial half but struggled opposite an scarcely well organized France counterclaim as Marc Lievremonts side helped themselves to dual interception tries, one for Alexis Palisson and a second for Francois Trinh-Duc.

It would be oppressive to censure these utterly on Welsh errors and insist the tries afar as small gifts to the French, they were the outcome of consistent French vigour in counterclaim and rapacious instincts in conflict on the singular occasions the event to set upon arose For 40 mins France were in sum control, containing Wales with something to gangling and seeking each bit Grand Slam champions elect.

They had quietened the crowd, that was a little feat on an scarcely romantic dusk that proposed with a mins overpower for Cheryl Davies, the mom of Wales close Bradley Davies, who died last week.

Her son, creation his initial ever begin for Wales, looked to the heavens quickly and blinked behind the tears as the overpower meshed in to acclaim prior to enjoying a excellent diversion in truth being at the really heart of the Wales brazen bid from begin to finish. A wise tribute.

Initially however it was all France with Morgan Parra additionally adding dual well struck middle range penalties to enlarge the tries and widespread dejection and low spirits between the Welsh crowd. Only once before, opposite England, have Wales ever trailed by twenty points or some-more at half-time in a Six Nations game.

Palissons try had come from an over desirous miss pass from James Hook to Jamies Roberts whilst Trinh-Ducs bid came on the cadence of half-time after Williams had been scragged by Yannick Jauzion and, with Wales already personification catch-up, opted to try and keep the round alive. Trinh-Duc review his mind, reached behind athletically and was afar up the touchline.

Wales looked passed and buried a incident they appear to find not often energising and true after the mangle they went to work with a will as they upped the pace, tapped a couple of penalties and proposed to spin that annoying French overflow counterclaim that had been gloomy the hold up out of them. And, as they came underneath pressure, France proposed to disobey and panic. It was ever thus.

Stephen Jones got the throng behind on side with a prop of penalties, the initial of that saw him transcend Neil Jenkins Welsh jot down of 406 Championshp points. He would have combined a third but Wales, wanting to say momentum, spurned an additional 3 points to flog for a line-out five metres out. Lee Byrne alas kicked the round dead, that seemed an feeling at the time, but Wales shortly recovered with a superb sprinters try from Leigh Halfpenny, the Cardiff man winning the feet competition after a quick-fire and really "flat" pass from Shane Williams.

Game on and if Jamie Roberts had speckled Hook bubbling up to one side moments after when violation downfield Wales could well have been on turn terms. Instead it was the let off France really bad indispensable to solid the boat and nonetheless down to fourteen men after Parra had been sin-binned for a counsel slap down, their counterclaim regrouped. Freddie Michalak, on for Trinh-Duc and not the initial man you would put your debt on in a crisis, eased the vigour with a chastisement and the erring Parra returned to supplement a second.

France were home and hosed surely? But not quite. Williams struck in stirring conform a highlights package of his biggest tries would be a on trial most appropriate seller and we were behind on informed ground. 80 mins were display on the time as France, heading by 6 points, were asked to restart the diversion by arbitrate Jonathan Kaplan. Michalak knew just what was compulsory and done certain his restart found touch.

The diversion was over. France, for the initial time underneath Lievremont, had won 3 games in a row and with home games beckoning opposite Italy and England Le Grand Chelem is theirs to lose.Match sum

Wales: L Byrne (Ospreys); L Halfpenny (Cardiff Blues), J Hook (Ospreys), J Roberts (Cardiff Blues), S Williams (Ospreys); S Jones (Llanelli Scarlets), R Rees (Cardiff Blues); P James (Ospreys), H Bennett (Ospreys), A Jones (Ospreys), B Davies (Cardiff Blues), D Jones (Cardiff Blues), J Thomas (Ospreys), M Williams (Cardiff Blues), R Jones (Ospreys, capt). Subs: L Charteris (N-G Dragons) for D Jones 24,

France: C Poitrenaud (Toulouse); J Malzieu (Clermont-Auvergne), M Bastareaud (Stade Français), Y Jauzion (Toulouse), A Palisson (Brive); F Trinh-Duc (Montpellier), M Parra (Clermont); T Domingo (Clermont), W Servat (Toulouse), N Maz (Perpignan), L Nallet (Racing Metro 92), J Pierre (Clermont-Auvergne), T Dusautoir (Toulouse, capt), J Bonnaire (Clermont-Auvergne), I Harinordoquy (Biarritz). Subs: D Szarzewski (Stade Français) for Servat 51, J-B Poux (Toulouse) for Domingo 54, F Michalak (Toulouse) for Trinh-Duc 64, S Chabal (Racing Metro 92) for Pierre 64Referee: J Kaplan (South Africa).