Jean-Baptiste Elissalde scored a try and kicked five penalties and two conversions on Sunday as France stayed on course for the Six Nations Grand Slam with a 29-22 victory over Wales.
After England’s stunning 19-13 loss at home to Ireland on Saturday, Bernard Laporte’s World Cup semifinalists are the only side who can win the Slam. But they still have England to play in Paris on March 27.
Back row Imanol Harinordoquy also crossed the Welsh line at the Millennium Stadium as the French hit back from 12-6 down shortly before half time. His try enabled France to turn round 13-12 ahead at half time and the Welsh wilted in the second half.
Welsh fly half Stephen Jones kicked five penalties and converted Martyn Williams’ late try.
The French now have six points from three games, England and Ireland have four, Wales and Italy have two and Scotland is last with none.
”I’m very happy for the team but not for me because I’m in pain,” said Elissalde, who went off the field near the end with a torn muscle and is a major doubt for the next game against Scotland in two weeks.
”(The result) is very good for the team, very good for the tournament. I hope to play in the final against England at the Stade de France but to go to Scotland in two weeks is very difficult.
”There’s still two hard matches to come and, even if we beat the Scots, I think the English will still be very good.”
Coach Steve Hansen, who has just two more matches in charge of Wales before he takes over as one of the assistants to New Zealand’s Graham Henry, said his scrum failed to function against the French forward power.
”It’s hard to compete when your scrummage doesn’t function and you’re under pressure in the line-out but that’s credit to France,” the Kiwi said.
”All games are settled up front and in the end they were just too big and too strong for us.”
France was close to scoring a try in the third minute with a slick move out to the left but Welsh winger Rhys Williams got back to intercept the final pass out to Christophe Dominici with the winger about to go over in the corner.
But the French still went ahead a minute later with a close range Elissalde penalty when a Welsh forward went into a ruck from the side.
The scrum half and Welsh fly half Jones then had a kicking contest.
Jones leveled in the 12th minute with a straight 40-metre kick but Elissalde restored the French lead with his second penalty.
Another monster kick by Jones made it 6-6 and he landed his third in the 23rd minute as the Welsh moved ahead for the first time.
The French forwards buckled under pressure from the inspired Welsh pack and Jones’ fourth successful kick in a row opened up a six point lead.
But the French hit back to go ahead with the final action of the first half.
Fly half Frederic Michalak switched direction of play and made a diagonal run out to the right before offloading to winger Vincent Clerc. Harinordoquy made the overlap and the big back row was unchallenged as he crossed the line in the corner and touched down behind the posts.
Elissalde converted and the French led by one point at the interval.
The French scrum half landed two more penalties including one from 45 metres to stretch the lead to seven points soon after the break. Jones replied with his fifth successful kick in the 54th minute to cut the lead to four before Elissalde scored what proved the decisive try.
The Welsh were slow to move the ball from a scrum near half way, Serge Betsen pounced to gain possession and, with a pass that looked suspiciously forward, sent the scrum half sprinting 40 metres down the left wing for the score. Elissalde converted and the lead was 11 points.
Shane Williams thought he had brought his team back into the game with a try in the corner but it was disallowed because Tom Shanklin had clearly obstructed two would-be French tacklers.
To make it worse, Elissalde kicked his fifth penalty to open up a 14 point lead with 10 minutes to go.
Martyn Williams gave the Welsh fans a lift with a try two minutes from the end.
Stephen Jones swapped passes with Ceri Sweeney and the fly half fed Williams to go through for the try. Jones converted for a personal haul of 17 points but it was too late to stop the French marching to a third win in a row. – Sapa-AP