Wales 23-27 France: Six Nations 2020 – as it happened

That’s it from me. Thanks all for your company, and join us again tomorrow for England v Ireland.

Here’s the match report for our man in the stadium.

Shaun Edwards is smiling!

“It was a riproaring encounter and could’ve gone either way. We’re three from three so far, but we have Scotland away and expecting a real battle, but we now have pride in our line and we work hard and our fitness is looking good.”

Wayne Pivac:

“I though in second half we played well, but the intercept killed the momentum. The slap down close to the line I thought was at least a penalty and on the the scrum penalty the tight-head for France didn’t scrum straight and got away with it.”

His face is quite neutral, but he is clearly absolutely fuming.

Each time France play this tournament, they get a little better by another part of their game becoming gradually more proficient. Today, it was a 9-10-12 combo, average age of 21, playing with great maturity and a very good kicking effort both out of hand and off the tee. Any rugby fan should be genuinely excited about seeing how this team goes over the next few years.

Wales did enough to win this as well, and will be lamenting that 7 or so minutes before half time when they left the French 22 with no return after many phases so close to the line.

Also, that was definitely a deliberate knock on by Willhemse. But, if you’re looking for one refereeing decision to win a game at home, then you frankly haven’t done enough.

Raphael Ibanez, France General Manager:

“We are lucky to have some very talented young players, and we give them confidence and trust. I’m really proud of the young front row who scrummaged well. When it comes to Grandslam, I’ll let you do the talking and we’ll just focus on continuing to work”

And here’s Alun Wyn Jones

“We made two errors and gave them two penalties or tries. We didn’t score enough or capitalise on them being some players down.”

Player of the Match Romain Ntamack is speaking.

“We don’t have much experience but we play with a smile, it is a good experience to win here. I took a 50/50 chance for the intercept and it came off. We are not thinking of a grand slam, we are playing the next match.”

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All the players finally stop pushing and shoving and shake hands, and that is a great win full of character for France.

Arthur Vincent didn’t do much to be mentioned in a commentary like this, but he was outstanding at 12, as was Fickou out of position on the wing.

The ball is tapped and launched into touch, but France’s rejoicing is put on pause as they have to deal with a little after whistle rumble.

80 mins. The clock agonisingly ticks away as Wales try and make something of possession in their own half. There’s a break out left via a flying Moriarty and as the ball comes back Nick Tompkins is carrying towards the France 22. But he’s penalised for holding on after Chat clamps on! That’s the game.

77 mins. Jalibert makes decent contact but pulls it left. On the next possession the ball is out for Wales lineout in their own half

76 mins. Baptiste Serin is on for Dupont, so it’s an all new, all slightly mad halfback pairing for France in this most trying period for them. But they have a penalty for Alun Wyn Jones for contact in the air at the lineout.

France are in no ruch whatsoever as young Jalibert looks to kick at posts from on the left touchline.

74 mins. Will Rowlands makes a big carry and set Tomos Williams free, but he’s pulled down on France 22. It comes right this time to Aaron Wainwright who powers forward in the 13 channel, need 3 French defenders to pull him down. It’s worked back to centre of field and Biggar drives over and grounds the ball to score.

He adds the extras.

France look tired, they’re a man down and now Ntamack is off injured. The flamboyant Jalibert will helm France’s last five minutes. Eek!

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73 mins. France safely exit and some fitful possession for both teams concludes with a Wales knock on and France scrum that they win and boot possession away, sensibly making Wales play from their own 22.

Leon Brown and Ryan Elias are on in front row for Wales.

70 mins. Would you believe it, France win a penalty in the next scrum. Demba Bamba punches the air with both hands like a lottery winner, which given how terrible a scrummager he is, that penalty has about the same odds as a lottery win. Incredible scenes as the French pack cheer and high five like no-one business.

68 mins. Wales scrum on France 5m line, wide left. It’s collapsed a few times and the ref is blaming France and has lost patience and said one more and someone is going off. It pops up again and Mohammed Haouas is ordered off for 10 minutes.

Demba Bamba comes on in the front row, Francois Cros is out of the backrow to accomodate it and Gael Fickou is put in at number 8.

Let’s see how this scrum goes, eh?

Romain Taofifenua is on for Le Roux.

Subs.

Will Rowlands is on for Jake Ball and Jarrod Evans for Josh Adams.

Jalibert is on for Teddy Thomas

Ref Carley has had a look and says there is nothing clear and obvious to overrule the onfield decision of a knock on.

Willhemse knew exactly what he was doing there and has hugely gotten away with it/played a blinder depending on your allegiance.

66 mins. Wales win the lineout on the France 5m line via Wainwright who is on for Faletau. The counter-maul from France is strong, but Wales bring the ball left and Willhemse looks to slap the ball down deliberately in tackle on Owens with Josh Adams open with the line begging.

65 mins. Tomos Williams hacks a loose ball into the France 22 and dribbles it on, but the omnipresent Ntamack covers across and takes it into touch.

Josh Adams is down and grimacing while his ankle gets some attention. He’s up but looking very uncomfortable.

63 mins. Penalty to France after Dillon Lewis leaves his legs obstructing the ball in the ruck. Ntamack takes it on from 40 metres and it curls inside the right-hand post.

60 mins. Biggar fields a towering box kick from Dupont and marks it under pressure. He then tries to buy a penalty by booting the ball into a retreating defender, but Carley is not convinced.

58 mins. From a lineout on the Wales 22 France punch into midfield via Vakatawa. The ball is recycled for big drive from Willhemse to take them up to 10 metres out, but Vakatawa overworks his pass out wide to kill the momentum. Fickou grubbers the ball into the corner and it’s into touch.

Wyn Jones is offf for Wales replaced by Rob Evans

56 mins. Wales are left and right but static in their phases on halfway so Biggar tries his kick and regather trick to get his team moving forward and he’s this close to grabbing it, but knocks on. After a frantic few minutes everyone has a breather while we wait for the scrum

Tomos Williams is on for Gareth Davies and Cammille Chat has replaced Marchand.

53 mins. Wales have the ball from the scrum and work it left quickly through hands, but as Tompkins tries to feed Tipuric, Ntamack flies up, nicks it and canters in through open field from forty metres.

Hes dusts himself off and converts his own score. He’s having some game.

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51 mins. Dan Biggar meets and Alldritt carry like wall of gobby noise and holds him up for the maul. The ball is stuck in and Wales have a scrum. Excellent, infuriating stuff from Biggar.

48 mins. Wales win the lineout safely and drive up to the line and a a couple of drives later the prop powers over from inches out. Biggar converts.

Now we have a game a of rugby on our hands, ladies and gents.

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46 mins. Alldritt is out of the bin and will join the lineout on his own 10 metre line after a good touchfinder from Tompkins. Wales have the ball back and tompkins rolls it into the corner and all Bouthier can do is find touch under pressure on his own 5m line.

Good couple of minutes from the centre.

44 mins. France are back in possession after Wales clear from the lineout and Vakatawa has his first bit of open pasture to move into and he puts his team back into the Wales half. Again, the phases start and France’s more composed strategy is obviouss

42 mins. France have a few phases and are looking more structured already in these early exchanges. They move into the Wales half with some repeated carries before Ntamack prods it into the corner.

Jean-Baptiste Cros has replace Cyrille Baille at half time in the France front row

Ntamack bounces the ball a few times and then puts his foot through it for Tompkins to gather and get a rattling from Vincent for his trouble. But it’s safely recycled and cleared by Davies.

France’s defensive effort was remarkable - albeit sometimes illegal - there, but you have to wonder what it’s taken out of them for the late period of the game when Wales will inevitably have similar possession. I feel that France need to get early scores in the second half and get a good 15-20 points clear before 60 mins.