Key events
Half Time!
40+1 mins. Wales have possession around halfway after 10 phases. The ball is overrun out wide and Guillard clamps on to win a penalty. Jalibert has mercy on the home side and decides to tap it to end the half rather than have another attack.
TRY! Wales 7 – 26 France (Mathieu Jalibert)
39 mins. You’ll go a long way to see a try as stupid as this. Cracknell wins a great turnover on the Wales 22 at the ruck and the ball spills to Beard who decides to kick it. He had neither the space nor the skill to do such a thing and it bounces off Jalibert who gathers it to stroll in from 20 metres.
37 mins. Dupont takes the ball from lineout on a loop, straightens up and rams forward into the 22. It looks like trouble for Wales, but they are let off the hook by a French knock-on.
35 mins. More French possession around the 22 leads to an angled kick towards Bielle-Biarrey’s wing, but Rees-Zammit covers it and the Wales defence regroup for Williams to kick clear.
33 mins. Williams takes a quick tap on halfway for Rees-Zammit to have a run with. He’s hauled down on the 10m line and as the home side move it back to the left they arae isolated in a ruck and lose the ball to a turnover penalty.
31 mins. Another kick is too long to Bielle-Biarrey, who offloads to Dupont to race up the left touchline. Wales scramble as best they can and two phases later Dupont chips over the top for Attissogbe to gather under pressure to ground.
But wait! The celebrations are cut short as the TMO has spotted the winger was standing miles in front of Dupont when he kicked. Offside! No Try!
28 mins. The story of Wales’s half so far, aside from France’s tries, is every kick being slightly too long for their chasers to compete for, which allows France loose ball to work their magic with.
The latest example is Tomos Williams booting an angled kick into the 22, to no-one other than Bielle-Biarrey.
25 mins. A juggling take from Ramos from a Williams bomb is popped to Jalibert who finds Bielle-Biarrey in space. The familiar willingness to keep the ball alive and move it all way left-to-right results in some more territory before Wales manage to halt it.
The loose ball finds Rees-Zammit who is very nearly away before being tackled by Cros. The ball ends up in touch where a bit of a scuffle ensues. Nothing to see here, Wales will have a lineout.
22 mins. Excellent drills from Wales to exit from an awkward defensive scrum via a Hawkins carry then a long touchfinder from Williams.
20 mins. A coach killer for Tandy as Wales mess up the restart to allow France the ball in the 22. The ominous attack clouds gather once more, but the red defence is far better organised than previously and this, plus some aggression from James, forces a knock on.
TRY! Wales 7 – 19 France (Rhys Carre)
18 mins. A gift from the kick-off for Wales as France allow Mee to get up and regather the ball to gallop into the 22. The red shirts swarm and start hammering carries at the French line before Beard heaves over to be called held up.
There was a penalty in backplay, however, and a simple tap and drive has Carre smashing his considerable weight over the line.
Edwards converts.
TRY! Wales 0 – 19 France (Fabien Brau‑Boirie)
15 mins. Bielle-Biarrey steps around Lake out left like he’s been nailed to the floor. The next phase moves swiftly right to new centre Brau-Boirie to drift on the outside shoulder of James, open up his legs and score France’s third try.
Ramos converts.
Stephen Roach emails from Saigon.
“As Max Boyce said ‘They don’t come and see me when I’m bad’”.
Quite.
TRY! Wales 0 – 12 France (Louis Bielle-Biarrey)
11 mins. There was a penalty for Wales not rolling away earlier in the attack and the resulting lineout has Jalibert with all the time in the world to cross-kick to Bielle-Biarrey in a Bannau Brycheiniog of space on the left to score.
10 mins. Jalibert takes the ball on a loop play and this is enough to create an overlap on the right for Attisogbe to accelerate into. He races towards the line but is held up as a bevvy of red and blue shirt converge on him.
8 mins. France are up to the 22 through mainly carrying straight and hard at too passive Wales defence. The scramble is good enough however for Mee to snaffle the ball out wide, but he’s soon scragged into touch.
5 mins. A hanging Edwards kick is dropped by Jalibert, but it went backwards and so Attissogbe can tidy it up around halfway. Wales are soon back on the ball with Edwards again kicking deep; way too deep as it bobbles dead.
The first try was in some measure due to missed tackles and then another basic error is made with that kick. Unforgivable, really.
TRY! Wales 0 – 7 France (Emilien Gailleton)
2 mins. Dupont kicks the ball back to Wales for Rees-Zammit to have a run with it. There’s a couple of inconsequential phases before a box kick is hoisted to be won by Bielle-Biarrey. The ball is moved to the right via most of the French players before Dupont pops a delicious pass to Attissogbe who breaks free, feeds Ollivon who dollies a pass to Gailleton to trot in.
Ramos adds two.
Kick Off!
Dan Edwards puts his young foot through the ball and we are underway.
Jeremy Boyce is in positive spirit.
“Last Monday you were all writing off the Celtic countries after all three lost their opening matches and bigging up England’s Slam credentials. A week is a short time in rugby/sport/politics and how things have changed. Not only did Ireland get back to winning ways, the Scots did one on England and it perfectly sets up this afternoon’s dawning of Wales’ brand new era, with a “jamais deux sans trois” (if it happens twice it will happen three times) victory over the reigning champions France. Either way, two of the best national songs going before a ball is kicked/pass thrown. I’ll be watching.”
The teams are on their way, led by Charles Ollivon and Julien Marchand on the occasion of their 50th cap. As predicted, there are a lot of empty seats.
There’s just been a section of the coverage where fans on the street of Cardiff gave a series of interviews of increasing desperation regarding their hopes for the game in Wales. It’s incredibly sad to see and hear, then made worse by a WRU board member following it up with a series of mealy mouthed non-statements.
After that defeat yesterday, what next for England?
It could a long afternoon if you are Welsh, is there anyone out there holding out some hope, or is it all being watched from between your fingers? Let me know this or anything else on the email.
Teams
Steve Tandy despatches Ben Thomas from the starting line-up, with Joe Hawkins returning to the 12 shirt. In the forwards Rhys Carre is back at prop, joined by Tomas Francis after his stint of non-selection due to playing in France.
Injuries and withdrawals for France bring a new centre partnership of Emilien Gailleton and Fabien Brau‑Boirie, replacing Moefana and Depoortere from last week’s Ireland win.
Wales
Louis Rees‑Zammit; Ellis Mee, Eddie James, Joe Hawkins, Josh Adams; Dan Edwards, Tomos Williams; Rhys Carre, Dewi Lake, Tomas Francis; Dafydd Jenkins, Adam Beard; Aaron Wainwright, Alex Mann, Olly Cracknell.
Replacements: Ryan Elias, Nicky Smith, Archie Griffin, Ben Carter, Taine Plumtree, Kieran Hardy, Jarrod Evans, Mason Grady.
France
Thomas Ramos; Louis Bielle‑Biarrey, Emilien Gailleton, Fabien Brau‑Boirie, Theo Attissogbe; Matthieu Jalibert, Antoine Dupont; Jean‑Baptiste Gros, Julien Marchand, Dorian Aldegheri; Charles Ollivon, Mickael Guillard; Francois Cros, Oscar Jegou, Anthony Jelonch.
Replacements: Maxime Lamothe, Rodrigue Neti, Régis Montagne, Thibaud Flament, Emmanuel Meafou, Lenni Nouchi, Baptiste Serin, Noah Nene.
Preamble
Who likes Disney sports movies? I’m partial to them myself on occasion. Sometimes the soul needs the warming elixir that can only be found in tales of bringing interracial harmony and victory to early 1970’s high school football, Mark Walhlberg being Mark Wahlberg but this time as a barman playing the NFL, or some plucky college and semi-pro hockey players defeating all of communism. Other inspirational narratives are also available.
How Wales would welcome some Disneyfication of their experience today. Trouble is these films are not documentaries, instead much of the content is “inspired” by real events; the rarity of an underdog not being absolutely lamped is that what makes the tales such a salve to the mood.
But that little glimmer of you-never-know-ism is what has fans returning despite the absolute dreck in front of them. Judging by the terrible ticket sales for this afternoon in Cardiff, fewer and fewer Wales fans can find that glimmer amidst the asphyxiating smoke of despair coming from the blaze started by their own governing body’s arson. Conversely, France arrive on the back of their most promising performance in nearly a year, with riches of squad and vibe burnished by England’s form yesterday opening the Grand Slam door.
You never know, they might make a movie about this result one day. Probably a YouTube one called “Rugby’s Greatest Hammerings, No 26”.