Match report: France 19-24 Wales
Michael Aylwin was at the Stade de France to watch a remarkable comeback from Wales, who beat the hapless French. Here’s how he saw events unfold.
Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones speaks: “I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t a lot of relief there,” he tells the BBC. “I hold my hands up and admit that we came out fairly slow.”
On George North’s brace of tries: “You think of all the stuff that’s created. I think there’s often a lot of value in chasing lost causes, as he did. I think the conditions won the game for us today.”
France’s players are devastated: And so they should be - they have thrown that game away, gifting Wales two tries with a couple of stupid mistakes from Yoann Huget and the rookie Romain Ntamack.
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Full-time in Paris: France 19-24 Wales
WALES WIN! The ball goes loose, Gareth Davies claims it , turns and boots it into the stand. Wales have ridden their luck and come from 16-0 down at half-time to win the opening match of this year’s Six Nations championship.
80+1 min: France 19-24 Wales France recycle for the 13th time as Wales defend 40 metres from their own line.
80 min: France 19-24 Wales Wales lose their own line-out and Geoffrey Doumayrou tries to force his way up the line. France have the ball just inside the Welsh half as the clock goes into the red. Ntamack advances, but Tipuric makes the tackle.
80 min: France 19-24 Wales France wheel the scrum deliberately and concede a penalty, before starting a mini-brawl. Meanwhile, the clock ticks on – that’s just so French. Thirty seconds to go.
79 min: France 19-24 Wales Wales put-in at the scrum after a brilliant tackle from Jason Tipuric forces a France knock-on. There are 60 seconds remaining.
77 min: France 19-24 Wales “They were so smart tactically in the first half but it’s just disappeared in the second,” says Paul O’Connell of France on the BBC match commentary. They win a penalty after a Welsh player picks up a Gareth Davies knock-on and France kick for the corner. It’s a poor effort and they have a line-out about 10 metres from the Wales try line.
76 min: France 19-24 Wales Stout defending from Wales, as France run into brick wall after brick wall. They’re on phase 20 but haven’t made an inch. Gael Fickou concedes the scrum with a forward pass and Wales alleviate the pressure for the time being at least.
75 min: France 19-24 Wales A penalty won’t be good enough for France at this late stage, but they have possession halfway inside the Wales halfas they recycle the ball for the 14th time. Wales stand firm.
WALES TRY!!! France 19-24 Wales: After two poor France passes in a row, Romain Ntamack throws a third one out wide towards the wing and it’s intercepted by George North, who hares off towards the line. That’s the second try he’s been gifted tonight. Add on two more for the conversion.
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FRANCE PENALTY! France 19-17 Wales Lopez puts the French ahead once again, slotting over a penalty awarded after Wales failed to get the ball out of their own scrum. That massive French pack was just too powerful for them.
69 min: France 16-17 Wales After another break for an injury to Cory Hill, France win a penalty under the Welsh posts following a period of sustained pressure. It’s under the posts.
68 min: France 16-17 Wales Gareth Davies gifts possession to Romain Ntamack and France set up Lopez for a drop goal. It’s blocked brilliantly by Justin Tipiric.
67 min: France 16-17 Wales Liam Williams goes off with blood pouring from a head wound, which means he’ll probably have to get stitched up and under go a head injury assessment. Having been replaced earlier by Dan Biggar, Gareth Anscombe comes back off the bench and goes in at full-back.
65 min: France 16-17 Wales A Wales 22 drop-out, which Biggar sends as far up the pitch as he can. France return it and win the turnover and Julien Marchand surges forward. France knock on and there’ll be a break in play as Wales full-back Liam Williams receives treatment after coming out second best from a tackle by Louis Picamoles.
63 min: France 16-17 Wales Dan Biggar slots over to put Wales in front. I’m not quite sure how they’ve managed this - France have been absolutely dreadful since half-time, so the Welsh haven’t had to do anything particularly special to come from 16-0 down to take the lead in a little over 20 minutes. Let’s not forget, either, that they’ve had two tries disallowed.
61 min: France 16-14 Wales Good play from Navidi and Alun Wyn Jones, who hold up Louis Picamoles to create a maul, allowing them to win the put-in for the subsequent scrummage. Penalty advantage for Wales and Dan Biggar sets off up the pitch on what amounts to a free play. No advantage is forthcoming, so Wales have a penalty after Demba Bamba pops out of the scrum. That’s the fourth penalty the Welsh forwards have won tonight.
58 min: France 16-14 Wales Both sides have rung the changes and brought on replacements, with Wales very much on the front foot despite having looked dead and buried at half-time. As I type that, France win a penalty, which Camille Lopez pulls wide from a long way out. They could have done with that to steady their jitters.
55 min: France 16-14 Wales It’s all Wales, as Jonathan Davies breaks a tackle to make ground the left touchline. Dan Biggar, on from the bench, drives forward and a ruck forms. The ball is played inside to Ross MOriarty, who crashes over.
His “try” is subsequently disallowed for an apparent infringement on Louis Picamoles, who Ashley Barnes decides was cleared out despite not being part of the ruck formed around Biggar. On BBC, the commentary team are unanimous in their opinion that it was a harsh decision.
WALES TRY!!! France 16-14 Wales A shocking error by Yohann Huget allows George North in to score a second try for Wales. The France winger was sliding back over his line to collect a terrible kick for the corner, but let the wet ball squirt out from under his arm and into play.
He can only watch in horror as George North comes from nowhere to perform an excellent pick-up and touch down for what amounts to a gift. Anscombe snaffles the two points from the conversion. There’s only two points in it!
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49 min: France 16-7 Wales The Wales fans in the stands find their voice having seen their side score. A French knock-on gives Wales a scrum just inside the France half.
WALES TRY!!! France 16-7 Wales Wales go through the phases – 10 of them – and score a try out of nothing. A missed tackle by Paul Willemse allows Josh Adams to break through the defensive line and he draws a man before passing to Tomas Williams, who slides over. Anscombe slots over for the extra two points.
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43 min: France 16-0 Wales France continue to slow down the game at every opportunity and after a re-set, Louis Picamoles takes the ball out of a spinning scrum.
41 min: France 16-0 Wales A good tackle on Camille Lopez by Tomas Williams forces an error, giving Wales the put-in in the scrum in the middle of the pitch. Gareth Anscombe wriggles past Morgan Parra to get to the France 22. Wales over-run the ball and Ken Owens mishandles. Yet another handling error for Wales - their 12th. France have the scrum on their own 22.
Second half: France 16-0 Wales
41 min: France get the ball airborne for the second half as the rain continues to bucket down. Josh Adams claims for Wales.
Half-time stat: “The last time Wales were at least 16 points behind at half-time was over two years ago when they were losing 20-3 in Australia, in a match they lost 32-8,” writes our man in the Gracenote Sports anorak, Simon Gleave. “It is nearly 3 years since Wales were so far behind at the break of a Six Nations match (0-16 v England in 2016). Wales recovered in the second half to lose 25-21. This was also the last time they failed to score a first half point.”
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Half-time in Paris: France 16-0 Wales
Wales go in for the interval with their tails between their legs and fairly lucky to be only 16 points behind. They’ve missed 11 tackles to France’s five and committed eight handling errors to France’s one. The French flew out of the traps, while their opponents have yet to find any kind of momentum at all.
DROP GOAL!!! France 16-0 Wales: Anscombe’s decision to keep the ball in play costs them dearly, as France set up a drop goal effort from distance for Camille Lopez. He makes no mistake, turning away and fist-pumping excitedly as Wayne Barnes signals half-time. Wales are in all sorts of bother here and haven’t a hope of getting anything from this match unless they seriously up their game.
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40 min: France 13-0 Wales: Wales get a free-kick for a premature French push in the scrum. Anscombe kicks towards the centre, keeping the ball on the pitch. The clock ticks into the red and we’re in first-half overtime.
39 min: France 13-0 Wales: Stout defending from Wales on their own line as they attempt to repel a French maul that was snowballing as assorted members of their backline got involved. A five-metre scrum and Wales have the put-in.
38 min: France 13-0 Wales: Josh Navidi is penalised for tackling Morgan Parra before the scrum-half had a chance to release the ball from a line-out. Parra kicks for the corner and Arthur Iturria claims the ball at the subsequent line-out.
36 min: France 13-0 Wales: Wales win a line-out halfway inside the France half. Ken Owens takes the throw-in but fails to find his man. It’s just one mistake after another from the Welsh.
35 min: France 13-0 Wales: Wales make their seventh handling error in little over half an hour to squander possession again. They regain possession and Anscombe overcooks a kick in behind - this is hideously bad rugby from Wales, who are really struggling to find any kind of rhythm.
FRANCE PENALTY!!! France 13-0 Wales: France change their kicker for a kick under the posts. Camille Lopez takes over and splits the posts with his effort.
32 min: France 10-0 Wales: France have the penalty advantage as a Wales pack that is 50 kilos lighter than their opposite numbers keeps them from crossing the line. A penalty for France for – I think – a tackle by Jonathan Davies on Romain Ntamack, who didn’t have the ball.
31 min: France 10-0 Wales: A brilliant kick to the corner from Damian Penaud forces Wales to touch down the ball behind their own try line. A five-yard scrum for France keeps Wales on the back foot.
29 min: France 10-0 Wales: “We need tempo in this game,” says Wayne Barnes, as the French ballboys, clearly under instruction, once again take an age to dry the ball and return it to action after Anscombe’s missed kick. “They shouldn’t be drying it,” says Brian O’Connell. “They want to be giving them a wet ball for the kick-off.” The implication, of course being, that a wet ball will be more difficult for Wales to catch.
26 min: France 10-0 Wales: Camille Lopez pumps a huge kick down the centre, which is claimed by Liam Williams. Wales win a penalty which Gareth Anscombe elects to kick. He misses again.
FRANCE TRY! France 10-0 Wales: A knock on advantage is played as France make ground into the Wales half. Showing terrific handling skills, France play the ball from right to left across the pitch and Yoann Huget dives over in the corner after taking a wonderful offload from Arthur Iturria. Again, Parra misses the conversion.
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21 min: France 5-0 Wales: France have the ball on the Welsh 22 and Morgan Parra moves into the pocket as if preparing for a drop goal. They continue going through the phases and the ball’s kicked high into the night sky. Williams claims brilliantly just in front of his own line by the corner and calls for the mark.
19 min: France 5-0 Wales: Luois Picamoles it was who put in the last-ditch tackle that prompted Liam Williams to knock on as he was going over the line for what looked like a certain try. I didn’t notice his infraction at the time, but it was glaringly obvious on second view in slow motion.
DISALLOWED TRY! France 5-0 Wales: It seems to be a try out of nothing for Wales, who turned over the ball after good work from Josh Nanidi in midfield. Liam Williams goes over the line but appears to briefly lose control of the ball in the tackle, a knock-on that is only brought to referee Wayne Barnes’s attention as Anscombe is about to take the conversion. Instead of a try, we have a five-metre scrum and France have the put-in.
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16 min: France 5-0 Wales: France line-out near halfway after a poor offload from George North goes out over the sideline. France win the lineout, but Wales turn over possession and make precious yards into the France half.
15 min: France 5-0 Wales: Anscombe fails with his penalty kick, leaving the ball short and wide. The BBC’s commentary team are unanimous in their view that Anscombe should have kicked for the corner, a view they espoused before he took on that long effort for goal.
14 min: France 5-0 Wales: Wales get the ball in hand and try to drive the centre with Ross Moriarty in possession. Wales get a penalty for offside, but Wayne Barnes plays advantage. None materialises, so Gareth Anscombe elects to kick for goal. He’ll do well to get that one from there.
11 min: France 5-0 Wales: Tomas Francis is penalised for going off his feet in the ruck and France have a penalty. It’s eminently kickable, but again Morgan Parra pushes his effort wide of the left upright. A let-off for Wales, who have not got off to the best of starts.
9 min: France 5-0 Wales: The rain continues to pour down as France have a scrum on the halfway line. Camille Lopez kicks wide towards the left touchline, where Yohann Huget collects. “It will be difficult to play an expansive game in these conditions,” says former Ireland captain Brian O’Connell on BBC co-comms. “Holding to the ball will be very important.”
TRY! France 5-0 Wales: The slippery, wet conditions are making ball-handling difficult, but France are definitely having the better of proceedings in these early stages. They get the scoreboard ticking over after going through the phases, taking advantage of a couple of dummy runners, they find themselves with an overlap on the right-hand side and the giant lock Louis Picamoles crashes over to open the scoring. Morgan Parra fails to add the extras, pushing his conversion wide.
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3 min: Louis Picamoles goes around the back of the line-out and feeds the ball out to centre Romain Ntamack, who knocks on.
2 min: France looking dangerous in these early stages and win the first penalty of the game. Outside-half Camille Lopez kicks for touch and earns his team a line-out on the Wales 22.
The 2019 Six Nations is GO!
1 min: Gareth Anscombe takes the first kick of this year’s Championship, getting the game under way for Wales.
And now, La Marseillaise: The home team and their supporters belt out a rendition of the always jaunty anthem, their enthusiasm not dampened by the rain that is falling steadily from the Paris night sky.
The teams are out on the pitch: Pyrotechnics and loud music provide the backdrop as both sets of players run out and line up for the pre-match formalities. Behind them on the pitch, a brass band strikes up a rendition of Land of my Fathers.
Thomas Castaignede speaks: “I think it’s a big challenge for the French team,” says the former France out-half and Guardian columnist on BBC. “I always think we can do it. Maybe a good win for France by 10 or 15 points.” Not for me, Tom – I think Wales will win this one comfortably. Interestingly, the bookies aren’t able to split them, so it should be an interesting night in France.
Castiagnede goes on to point out that French interest in their national rugby team seems to be on the slide. There are only about 60,000 at this match, compared to the usual 80,000.
Some stats for your reading pleasure ...
As we count down to kick-off, let us strafe you with our stat gun, with these nuggets of trivia with which you can bore your friends down the pub our clubhouse bar. They are kindly brought to us by Simon Gleave, who is the head of analysis at Gracenote Sports .
- France’s half back partnership of Morgan Parra and Camille Lopez is the 13th different pair fielded by France at 9 and 10 since the last Rugby World Cup. France have selected five different scrum-halves and seven different fly-halves since the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
- Morgan Parra will play his first match in the Six Nations for four years, since the 20-13 defeat by Wales in Paris at the end of February 2015.
- Morgan Parra will become joint most capped scrum-half for France this evening as his 64th cap equals the total achieved by Fabien Galthié from 1991 to 2003.
- At number 8, Louis Picamoles will start for the 54th time in that position breaking the record of Imanol Harinordoquy who won 53 of his 82 caps as a starting No8.
- Wales have a more settled team than France with 9 of last year’s starting XV also starting this evening. The whole front row plus Alun Wyn Jones, Navidi, Tipuric, North, Parkes and Liam Williams also started in last year’s 14-13 win against France.
- Wales’ front row of Rob Evans, Ken Owens and Tomas Francis start together for the sixth time in a Six Nations match. The only Wales front row to have started more often in the professional era was Gethin Jenkins - Matthew Rees - Adam Jones who started nine matches in the competition together between 2008 and 2013.
- Ken Owens wins his 61st cap this evening, becoming the most capped Welsh hooker in the process ahead of Matthew Rees who won 60 caps.
- Wales’ half back partnership is also relatively new with Tomos Williams and Gareth Anscombe only previously starting together in one match - the 22-20 win against South Africa in Washington DC last summer. Wales have tried 12 different partnerships at 9 and 10 since the last Rugby World Cup.
- Tomos Williams is the youngest starting scrum-half for Wales in the Six Nations for 13 years since Mike Phillips wore the number 9 shirt against France in 2006.
Tonight’s match officials
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Touch judges: Matthew Carley (England) and Brendon Pickerill (New Zealand)
TMO: Rowan Kitt (England)
France v Wales - team selections
The shock omission of Mathieu Bastareaud from Jacques Brunel’s matchday squad is the big talking point in the build-up to this game, the centre and vice-captain making way for the 19-year-old Romain Ntamack – son of former France international Emile – who makes his debut at No12.
Bastareaud has not even made the bench, as Brunel tries to inject more speed and mobility into his side, but the French coach insists this is not the end for a player who has 50 caps for his country and will be watching from the stands tonight. South Africa-born lock Paul Willemse also makes his debut for France tonight.
Meanwhile in the Wales camp, scrum-half Tomos Williams make his Six Nations debut, starting in place of Gareth Davies, who has been recuperating from a thigh injury and starts on the bench. Prop Rob Evans and flanker Josh Navidi replace the injured Nicky Smith and Ellis Jenkins in the other changes to the Wales squad that beat Australia last time out.
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France v Wales line-ups
France: 15-Maxime Medard, 14-Damian Penaud, 13-Wesley Fofana, 12-Romain Ntamack, 11-Yoann Huget, 10-Camille Lopez, 9-Morgan Parra; 1-Jefferson Poirot, 2-Guilhem Guirado (capt), 3-Uini Atonio, 4-Sebastien Vahaamahina, 5-Paul Willemse, 6-Wenceslas Lauret, 7-Arthur Iturria, 8-Louis Picamoles
Replacements: 16-Julien Marchand, 17-Dany Priso, 18-Demba Bamba, 19-Felix Lambey, 20-Gregory Alldritt, 21-Baptiste Serin, 22-Gael Fickou, 23-Geoffrey Doumayrou
Wales: 15-Liam Williams, 14-George North, 13-Jonathan Davies, 12-Hadleigh Parkes, 11-Josh Adams, 10-Gareth Anscombe, 9-Tomos Williams; 1-Rob Evans, 2-Ken Owens, 3-Tomas Francis, 4-Alun Wyn Jones (capt), 5-Adam Beard, 6-Josh Navidi, 7-Justin Tipuric, 8-Ross Moriarty
Replacements: 16-Elliot Dee, 17-Wyn Jones, 18-Samson Lee, 19-Cory Hill, 20-Aaron Wainwright, 21-Gareth Davies, 22-Dan Biggar, 23-Owen Watkin
Six Nations: France v Wales
It being a World Cup year, the Six Nations takes on slightly greater significance as players attempt to stake their claims to places in the international squads that will travel to Japan in September. France and Wales get this year’s championship under way in what promises to be a lively opener at the Stade de France. The visitors arrive on a nine match winning streak, while their hosts are hoping to put the embarrassment of defeat at the hands of Fiji in Paris last November behind them. Kick-off is at 8pm (GMT), but stay tuned for team news and build-up.
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