French fightback leaves Wales winless heading into final round
CARDIFF, WALES - MARCH 10: Romain Taofifenua of France prepares to catch the ball and score his team's fourth try whilst under pressure from Gareth Davies of Wales for the bonus point during the Guinness Six Nations 2024 match between Wales and France at the Principality Stadium on March 10, 2024 in Cardiff, Wales. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)
By TOM JEFFREYS
Wales……………………………………………….24
Tries: Dyer 9, Williams 25, Roberts 43
Conversions: Costelow 10, 26, 45
Penalties: Costelow 2
France……………………………………………..45
Tries: Fickou 22, Le Garrec 29, Colombe 65, Taofifenua 69, Lucu 80+1
Conversions: Ramos 23, 30, 66, 70
Penalties: Ramos 7, 15, 61, 74
A bullish France side put on a second half clinic to heap the pressure on a dispirited Welsh side.
Pressure also builds on Warren Gatland, whose prioritisation of inexperience was punished in a trial by French territory and possession.
Bright starts to both halves by Wales were flattened by a chronic inability to get out of their own 22, let alone their own half.
Whilst defiant defence continued to repel close-range French attack, only so much heart could keep out a physically superior French side, whose heavies, Georges Henri-Colombe and Romain Taofifenua, scored decisive second half tries to give France a much-needed bonus point win. Maxine Lucu’s 81st minute effort was merely salt in the wound.
Wales would have been encouraged by the three point half-time deficit despite taking an early lead through a Rio Dyer try. France spent a majority of the half in possession and in Wales’ half but a beautifully finished team try by Gael Fickou was not enough to properly reward their bulk of possession.
They were pegged back by a Tomos Williams try, created brilliantly by Owen Watkin, before Nolann Le Garrec dotted down from close range to give his side a deserved half time lead.
A Joe Roberts try early in the second half, whilst finished superbly, was a false dawn as Thomas Ramos controlled the game remorselessly on his first ever international start at fly-half.
For Warren Gatland a daunting final week looms ominously with only a bonus point win, or a victory by eight points or more, against Italy able to prevent a first Six Nations wooden spoon for Wales in 17 years.
Indeed, the nature of the defeat against a vulnerable and inexperienced French side will ensure that any win against the Azzurri will surely be seen as paper over quite considerable cracks.
For France, the convincing nature of their win, despite a lack of clinical edge at times, will give them good momentum against a buoyant England side.
In Nolann Le Garrec, Nicolas Depoortère, and Colombe, they had a noticeable injection of energy, whilst their long-standing big performers such as Damian Penaud, Fickou, and Ramos stepped up.
In a first half spent seemingly entirely in Wales’ half, they did well to capitalise on their few chances. Tommy Reffell made a trademark jackal with 90 seconds on the clock to give his side a 3-0 lead, before Ramos knocked over a regulation chance to equalise.
The smash and grab mentality that’s become synonymous with Warren Gatland sides over the years was epitomised best by Dyer when the Scarlets man, using the territory won by his aerial prowess, scooped up a loose ball to beat two men and coast through a vacant backfield to score.
Their lead was short-lived, however, as France won a scrum penalty against the head to draw Wales back, before Fickou showed every bit of his class and experience to finish off a tidy French move, beating Cameron Winnett one-on-one in the process with some exemplary footwork.
In front of a bouncing French away crowd, Wales swung momentum back again when Watkin danced past opposite man Nicolas Depoortère to tee up Williams for a score, giving Wales a 17-13 lead after 25 minutes.
Ryan Elias’ scrum reputation had earned him a surprise start, but his removal in the warm-up was capitalised on by a dominant French scrum who earned their team a penalty advantage close to the Wales line, giving Le Garrec a platform to snipe and score from close range on his first international start.
Invigorated by 10 minutes of robust defence to finish the first half, Wales flew out of the blocks after half time. Roberts, on his second cap and Six Nations debut, resisted challenges from Leo Barré and Fickou to roll over the line, ensuring key involvements from both Wales centres in two of their three tries.
In the ensuing ten minutes, it looked as though France were slipping into character of old and becoming their own worst enemy. Despite being pegged back by two forward passes they camped themselves on Wales’ try line, only for Thibaud Flament to knock on over the line.
They finally opted for points after replacement loosehead Sébastien Taofifénua infringed for a free kick on Wales’ five metre line, only for Penaud to return Wales’ exit with interest leading to a penalty and 24-23 scoreline; a moral win for Wales at a time where positives were scarce.
Despite their defiant goal line defence, Wales were unable to grapple any territory and the outstanding Penaud took his side back into Wales’ 22 soon after the restart. This gave the platform for debutant Colombe to bundle over and earn his side a more than deserved lead.
After this score, crucially, France were able to capitalise on their momentum and take the game out of reach.
Blue shirts were omnipresent in Wales’ 22 and after Louis Bielle-Biarrey floored Josh Adams behind the gainline, Romain Taofifenua used all of his 6ft 6ins frame to charge down Gareth Davies and score, taking his side past their record total in Cardiff in the Six Nations.
It was replacement scrum half Lucu who really twisted the screw, dotting over after an effortless Penaud offload. His unconverted try in the 81st minute took France to 45-24, a record number of points scored home or away in the Six Nations against an ultimately dejected Wales.
Wales: Winnett; Adams, Roberts, Watkin, Dyer; Costelow, Tomos Williams; G Thomas, Dee, Assiratti, Rowlands, Beard, D Jenkins (capt), Reffell, Wainwright.
Replacements: E Lloyd, Domachowski, Lewis, Martin, Mann, G Davies, I Lloyd, Grady.
France: Barre; Penaud, Fickou, Depoortere, Bielle-Biarrey; Ramos, Le Garrec; Baille, Marchand, Atonio, Flament, Meafou, Cros, Ollivon, Alldritt (capt).
Replacements: Mauvaka, S Taofifenua, Colombe, Taofifenua, Roumat, Boudehent, Lucu, Moefana.
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