Wales vs France result: Les Bleus remain on course for Six Nations Grand Slam with thrilling victory

Wales 23-27 France: Fabien Galthie’s youthful side maintain their unbeaten status and send out their biggest statement yet of their championship credentials

France maintained their Six Nations Grand Slam hopes with a thrilling 27-23 victory over Wales to all but end the home side’s hopes of retaining the championship and continue Les Bleus’ revolution.

In what was the biggest statement of France’s title credentials so far, fly-half Romain Ntamack inspired his side to their first victory against Wales in Cardiff in a decade, with this intercept try midway through the second half proving pivotal in making it three from three for Fabien Galthie’s youthful side and earning revenge for the Rugby World Cup quarter-final loss to the same side.

First-half tries from Anthony Bouthier and Paul Willemse got the visitors off to yet another flying start for the third consecutive game, and though three Dan Biggar penalties were able to keep the French in touch, France would not relinquish the lead that they took seven minutes into the contest.

The hosts threatened a comeback on numerous occasions, not least when Dillon Lewis crashed over soon after half-time, but Ntamack’s interception sucked the wind out of the Welsh sails, and although Biggar was able to add a second try to set up a grandstand finish, the French were able to hold out for a famous victory.

Following the home victories over England and Italy, a win on the road in Cardiff proved the biggest indication yet that this fearless yet ferocious side – perfectly prepared by Galthie and the returning Shaun Edwards – is no longer one to watch for the future but one for the here and now, and with Ireland facing a stern test themselves at Twickenham on Sunday, France sit pretty at the top of the table. With the two sides due to meet on the final weekend in Paris, the French head into the second half of the championship as the newly-installed bookmakers’ favourites for not just the title but a Grand Slam to boot, and it has been a long, long time since those words were muttered together in the same status.

Hopes of a contest that lived up to its large billing took a blow before kick-off when fans filtered out of Cardiff’s surrounding bars having observed some of the worst rugby dished up in this year’s Six Nations, but it didn’t take long for the Cardiff cauldron to warm up and banish any thoughts of Scotland’s 17-0 win in Italy. A healthy number of French fans ensured the pre-match entertainment was not all one way traffic, and that evidently lifted Galthie’s side from the get-go.

Wales did manage to take an early lead thanks largely to George North, with the wing palming back the kick-off into Welsh hands. With the French penalised for not releasing the tackle, Biggar opened his account for the afternoon with a long-range penalty that looked as assured as it was successful, but France were yet to get started.

The warning signs came through Gael Fickou as he made the most of loose kicking to break away down the left wing. The centre would eventually be stripped of the ball on the next phase but it proved the catalyst for the opening try just seven minutes in. Wales kicked clear but missed touch and allowed Bouthier to counter-attack, and when Ntamack fired up a high bomb to test Halfpenny, the Welsh full-back failed to take it. Instead, he cannoned the ball forwards and into the waiting hands of Bouthier, who took it on the charge and breezed over to put France in front.

Ntamack added the conversion and quickly extended the lead to seven with a penalty 12 minutes later as Wyn Jones was penalised for not rolling away, but perhaps the bigger blow was the sight of North walking off the field concussed. With his recent history with head injuries, Wales took no risks and confirmation quickly came through of Johnny McNicholls’ permanent introduction to the contest.

Seven points down on the scoreboard and shorn of their 97-cap wing, Wales needed something in response and Biggar produced it with his second penalty following a series of offsides from France. Though they were good value for their lead, it was quickly becoming evident that the French were more than happy to sacrifice penalties in order to keep their try line intact.

That was largely because each time they were given more than a yard of space, France looked like scoring. Fickou was proving considerably more dangerous out wide than he has been at inside centre so far this championship, and it was the wing who looked to have scored their second of the afternoon. However, the smash-and-grab try that stemmed from a break from Bouthier and cross-field kick from Ntamack also included an obvious forward pass from the full-back to Virimi Vakatawa, and Welsh were let off the hook as play was brought back to halfway for a scrum.

That stay of execution lasted less than 120 seconds though. Once more it was Fickou as the centre of it, collecting a loose pass to Leigh Halfpenny and hacking downfield, forcing Hadleigh Parkes to carry into touch five metres out. With Wales preparing for a lineout drive, France outsmarted them as Gregory Alldritt released Willemse down the blindside, with the lock rampaging through McNicholl and Gareth Davies to score.

Anthony Bouthier scored France’s first try against Wales (Getty)

Wales responded emphatically, with constant pressure in the French red zone resulting in Alldritt seeing yellow, but three consecutive penalties resulted in Alun Wyn Jones turning down the points and going for the scrum, only for France to hold strong and end the half with a 17-9 lead.

If the Principality Stadium was in danger of becoming deflated, the start to the second half reignited the home crowd. Nick Tompkins sent an inch-perfect kick down into the right corner that forced Bouthier to carry into touch inside his five-metre channel, and though the rolling maul was halted, a rash decision from Anthony Vincent to rush up allowed Lewis to collect a loose ball and deceive Mohamed Haouas to score next to the upright.

Biggar’s conversion made it a one-point game, only for Ntamack’s match-clinching moment. Wales had their tales up and the biggest sign of it was Biggar’s desire to get the back line flowing, but with the second attack in swift succession, Ntamack picked off Tompkins’ pass and ran it home from halfway. The conversion re-established an eight-point lead that became 11 when the talented fly-half added his second penalty in the 64th minute when Lewis was punished for not rolling away fast enough, and an air of edginess descended on the home fans underneath the Principality roof.

Paul Willemse scores France’s second try against Wales in their Six Nations clash (Getty)

A series of Welsh scrum penalties resulted in Haouas being sent to the sin-bin, requiring replacement tighthead Demba Bamba to come on, but the prop made an immediate impact by releasing the pressure and charging through the opposition pack to win a French penalty on their own five metre line.

With time running down, Wales commendably went for broke, and were duly rewarded in the 75th minute. Wayne Pivac unloaded the bench, and it was his two replacement forwards in debutant Will Rowlands and Aaron Wainwright that came up with the goods. The former made the initial break before offloading to Tomos Williams, and once possession was recycled it was the latter who collected the ball from McNicholls and Ryan Elias to charge into the 22. Wales sniffed blood, and two phases later Biggar was able to hold off the covering defence and clatter his way over for the try – ably assisted by TMO Graham Hughes who confirmed the touch down.

Four points in it and five minutes to play, both teams threw caution to the wind, with the French earning themselves a penalty after Alun Wyn Jones took out opposite skipper Charles Ollivon in the air that triggered a lineout-maul collapse. Mathieu Jalibert inherited the kicking duties from the now injured Ntamack, but though his effort was hooked wide, France did enough to see the result home. Tompkins made one last break to threaten an unthinkable home victory, but Vincent and Thomas Ramos clinched the turnover penalty with desperate defending and despite a late post-whistle skirmish, it was France celebrating victory in a Six Nations cracker.