France run in five tries to beat Wales and keep faint Six Nations title hopes alive

If championships were awarded for artistic merit, this ought to have been enough to secure France a consecutive title. They blew Wales away when it mattered, which was either side of half-time, but they will bemoan the four tries their visitors came away with, three of them scored when it did not really matter, long after the result had been secured.

So France were reduced to waiting on the result in Dublin. They climbed above Ireland at the top of the table, courtesy of that bonus point, but Rio Dyer’s try at the death meant their points difference fell seven shy of Ireland’s. Over to the English, then, whom they so roundly humiliated the week before.

This was not quite that level of humiliation. Indeed, Wales began and finished the match with energy and efficiency. So far from all bad. No doubting, though, who the stars of the show were.

It took France a little while to get going (10 minutes), and Wales were afforded that period to show off their wares. A spring afternoon in Paris looked briefly as if it might get a whole lot more claustrophobic for Wales, when Italy hammered at Scotland’s line in the dying minutes of the earlier game in Edinburgh. Scotland eventually secured the win which meant Wales would be spared the added ignominy of the wooden spoon should they succumb to the fate expected at the hands of these deadly Frenchmen.

So, resigned to fifth place, they drew in the clean air and played their best rugby of the tournament. For 10 minutes or so.

Their forwards off-loaded to each other in punchy combinations, their backs offered an early feel of the leather too. Three times they sent penalties to the corner. At the third, Ken Owens drove to within inches, and Rhys Webb picked out George North for the game’s