Wales vs France, Rugby World Cup 2019 LIVE result: Latest reaction from today’s quarter-final

Follow the latest reaction from the Rugby World Cup quarter-final thriller between Wales and France

Wales 35-13 Uruguay: French test awaits Wales in RWC quarter-finals

Ross Moriarty scored the winning try as Wales exploited their numerical superiority to rally for a 20-19 victory over France in the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals on Sunday after French lock Sebastien Vahaamahina had been shown a red card.

In an echo of the semi-final meeting between the two nations in 2011 when France won after Sam Warburton was sent off, the Six Nations champions overhauled a nine-point deficit after Vahaamahina was dismissed for foul play in the 49th minute.

Replacement loose forward Moriarty crossed in the 74th minute to give Wales an eighth win in their last nine meetings with France and set up a semi-final against hosts Japan or South Africa, who play in Tokyo later on Sunday.

France had threatened to stage another sensational World Cup upset after a brilliant first-half display in which they scored three tries, including two in the first eight minutes, to lead 19-10 at the break.

Reuters

When is the match?

Wales vs France takes place on Sunday 20 October at Oita Stadium.

What time does it start?

The quarter-final kicks off at 4:15pm Japan Standard Time, which is 8:15am BST.

Where can I watch it?

The match will be shown live on ITV and the ITV Hub online from 7:30am BST. Highlights will be shown on ITV4 from 7pm.

Teams

Wales: Liam Williams, George North, Jonathan Davies, Hadleigh Parkes, Josh Adams, Dan Biggar, Gareth Davies, Wyn Jones, Ken Owens, Tomas Francis, Jake Ball, Alun Wyn Jones (c), Aaron Wainwright, Justin Tipuric, Josh Navidi.

Replacements: Elliot Dee, Rhys Carre, Dillon Lewis, Adam Beard, Ross Moriarty, Tomos Williams, Rhys Patchell, Owen Watkin.

France: Maxime Medard, Damian Penaud, Virimi Vakatawa, Gael Fickou, Yoann Huget, Romain Ntamack, Antoine Dupont, Jefferson Poirot, Guilhem Guirado (c), Rabah Slimani, Bernard le Roux, Sebastien Vahaamahina, Wenceslas Lauret, Charles Ollivon, Gregory Alldritt.

Replacements: Camille Chat, Cyril Baille, Emerick Setiano, Paul Gabrillagues, Louis Picamoles, Baptiste Serin, Camille Lopez, Vincent Rattez.

Odds

Wales to win: 2/5

France to win: 11/4

Draw: 30/1

Prediction

Wales 25-10 France: Wales appear to have all of their big guns fully fit for the knockout clash, and if they can reach the levels that they achieved against Australia in the pool stage, they should reach the semi-finals for the third time in their history.

Key Points

• France score two tries in eight minutes through Vahaamahina and Ollivon
• Wales hit back with Wainwright try
• Vakatawa strikes to stretch French lead to nine points

[20 October 2019 08:35 · Jack de Menezes]

16 mins: France get possession trapped in a lineout maul and the Welsh forwards roar with delight when they win the put-in. The first scrum of the game: which way is it going to go?

[20 October 2019 08:37 · Jack de Menezes]

19 mins: Vahaamahina gets penalised for tackling around the neck, which will give Biggar his first shot at goal from inside the 22.

[20 October 2019 08:39 · Jack de Menezes]

21 mins: Biggar makes no mistake, and the lead is cut down to two points! 10-12

[20 October 2019 08:43 · Jack de Menezes]

23 mins: The pace of the game picks up as Liam Williams gets a kick away just in the nick of time, with Penaud hot on his heels. He misses touch and Medard sends a lovely nudge back to touch some 10 metres out from the Welsh line, only for Williams to race to the ball and take the lineout quickly.

He passes to North who again misses touch and Medard can run it back, but France cough the ball up in contact and Wales hack downfield. Huget is under little pressure though as the ball trickles across the try line, and he dots it down for a 22 drop-out.

[20 October 2019 08:46 · Jack de Menezes]

26 mins: Penaud takes the drop-out superbly and quickly offloads to Fickou, who breaks free and gets France straight into the Welsh half. But with a strong attacking platform, Poirot is penalised for a neck roll on Owens and Wales have the penalty that Biggar sends to touch inside the French half.

There's bad news for Wales here, as Josh Navidi is being forced off with injury to what appears to be his left leg. Ross Moriarty therefore comes on at No 8.

[20 October 2019 08:51 · Jack de Menezes]

29 mins: The game comes to life and it's the French flair once again. Ntamack and Penaud combine with a quick lineout to catch Wales out, and it opens up space on the left of the field. Ntamack fires a short cross-field kick over to Huget, who is stopped by Adams but able to offload to Fickou, and Moriarty has to make a tackle here of he'll be away. He goes high to the fury of the French, and there's a but of afters there too as the game continues. Referee Jaco Peyper asks for it to be checked while the game continues, and with an eventual knock-on halting play he comes back for the penalty and shows Moriarty a yellow card!

That might just be the fastest yellow card dished out to a replacement ever, coming just two minutes after the No 8 had come on.

[20 October 2019 08:51 · Jack de Menezes]

31 mins: TRY FOR FRANCE!

[20 October 2019 08:53 · Jack de Menezes]

31 mins: Boy the French are up for this! They go to touch and instead of mauling it up, they play a short-side move that gets Guirado going forward. They recycle right and hit the ball up in the middle of the park before coming back left, and Ntamack feeds Penaud, who splits two defenders and offloads to Virimi Vakatawa to score their third of the half! Ntamack adds the conversion. 10-19

[20 October 2019 08:55 · Jack de Menezes]

34 mins: France are running riot! Medard tries to kick clear down the short side from the kick-off, and it cannons into the Welsh wall of defence in front, luckily landing in the hands of Medard. He breaks away and hacks it upfield for Alldritt to chase, and Biggar is forced to carry into touch from well inside his own 22. A big chance this for France.

[20 October 2019 08:59 · Jack de Menezes]

36 mins: France lose possession after Ntamack tries to force one to Penaud out wide. But as Wales kick clear, they miss touch once again. Les Bleus spread the ball left and it's Ntamack again at the heart of it, dummying his way across the line and releasing Fickou. The centre is just stopped short by North, and when France come back right Alldritt is thumped by Adams with a crucial tackle to stop the move in its tracks. Dupont tries to chip one over to the right corner for Penaud to chase, knowing they have a penalty advantage, and when the ball beats him into touch Peyper comes back for the penalty. Ntamack is having a fair bit of treatment down there, but he'll be good to kick at goal.