CARDIFF, Wales (AP) — A new-look France overpowered winless Wales and posted a pride-restoring 45-24 record score in Cardiff in the Six Nations on Sunday.
The teams kicked off with only one win between them in six matches, and the difference in the end was the power and experience of France, particularly its bench, as it dominated the last 35 minutes and ground down Wales.
The lead changed three times in an entertaining first half, and Wales regained it straight after halftime with a maiden try for center Joe Roberts. Wales led 24-20 but never looked like scoring again. France replacements Georges-Henri Colombe, Romain Taofifenua and Maxime Lucu dotted down and Thomas Ramos kicked eight straight goalkicks until he narrowly missed his last.
Notching five tries to three, France achieved its biggest score in Wales, surpassing 40 in 1996 in a non-championship game. Even more startling, Les Tricolores will welcome England in Lyon in the finale next weekend with a chance to finish second, a remarkable turnabout after the mediocre displays in the first three rounds.
“It’s true that we got our energy back,” France coach Fabien Galthié said. “We had to work on our methods and get some freshness back, physically but also mentally. It’s not over yet but I’d rather see the glass half full.”
Wales, after losing 11 of its last 12 Six Nations matches, will host Italy next Saturday hoping to avoid its first wooden spoon in 21 years.
“Next week is a big game, it’s massive for us,” Wales coach Warren Gatland said. “We’ve got a young group of players, some of them aren’t quite ready at this level, and have got to learn very quickly what test match rugby is about.”
An under-fire Galthie gave three debuts among eight changes after the embarrassment of drawing with Italy in Lille two weeks ago. France, especially in the first half, looked like a team that had just met each other as gaps were left open that Wales too easily exposed.
But newcomers Emmanuel Meafou and young backs Nicolas Depoortere and Léo Barré looked like they belonged. Also key were the returns from injuries of captain Gregory Alldritt, lock Thibaud Flament and wing Louis Bielle-Biarrey and a first test start for scrumhalf Nolann Le Garrec. His quick service from rucks, clever chips and decision-making earned him the player of the match award.
Barré being out of position was exploited for Wales’ first try to wing Rio Dyer.
But France counterattacked a Wales exit kick that didn’t find touch, and center Gael Fickou scored.
Moments later, Wales had the lead back after scrumhalf Tomos Williams exposed more poor defense.
Then France went back in front after Le Garrec scored off a five-meter scrum.
To complete a madcap 11 minutes, a 40-meter Le Garrec reverse pass across field launched a counterattack that almost netted a try for Bielle-Biarrey.
France led at halftime 20-17, and lost it within three minutes after a break by composed flyhalf Sam Costelow set up the Roberts try. Costelow converted to be four from four kicking at the posts. But he and Williams were perhaps replaced too soon as France pinned Wales in its 22 for what seemed like the rest of the match.
France sent in a new front row, including its fourth debutant in Colombe, and Taofifenua for Meafou. The fresh power was apparent as Wales barely held out. Three times in 10 minutes spanning halftime, France was stymied by forward passes.
Alldritt was denied a try after knocking on as plunged over the line.
Wing Damian Penaud, barely noticed in this championship, was suddenly unleashing long breaks down the right sideline and causing chaos.
One of those Penaud breaks, with a great pickup by Le Garrec, finished with Colombe’s try on debut to put France back in front in the 65th.
When the 2.03-meter Taofifenua scored from his own chargedown of scrumhalf Gareth Davies, France finally broke Wales and had the bonus fourth try.
A Colombe jackal gave Ramos his fourth penalty kick for 40-24, and they completed a muscle-bound display with a Lucu try from a five-meter scrum after Penaud offloaded while drawing four defenders.
“We were a bit frustrated with that Italy game,” Alldritt said. “We wanted to make France proud again.”
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AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby
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