France resist Wales rebound
26 Feb 2010
France nearly surrendered a 20-point lead before settling to secure a 26-20 victory over Wales in Cardiff.
Leading 20-0 and the break and having not been threatened once by an impotent Wales, most, except Wales’ ever-optimistic supporters wouldn’t have given the hosts a chance. But they rallied to within seven points, before basic errors cost them a chance of a miraculous comeback.
The match was a marred by passages of play that infuriated as a result of amateurish handling and poor tactical options. But there were moments which mesmerised, and those ensured you stayed trained on the contest.
Initially Wales couldn’t match France’s clinical attack via their back division, and why they persisted down that avenue of attack in the first half confounds. Their more pragmatic second half approach reaped rewards, and had they resisted the urge to box with the boxing experts, the result may have been different.
However, France built their victory almost entirely on defence – the controlled and aggressive variety in the first forty minutes and desperate scrambling in the second.
With regard to the former variation, Wales were bullied in contact, and as a result rarely got the speed on the recycle they needed to play the type of game they attempted to. France stayed patient in defence, despite a dearth of possession and territory, and capitalised on numerous errors, the biggest of which came in the 7th minute.
France’s speed off the line forced Wales’ attack to veer laterally, and well behind the advantage line. An intercept always looked possible given the careless and rudderless manner in which the ball was being distributed, and wing Alexis Palisson duly poached a floated Stephen Jones pass and ran 65m to score.
Morgan Parra converted and banked two more three pointers to take his side into 13-0 ahead.
At no stage did Wales threaten, and their desperation manifested in collectivism being traded for individualism. This ultimately cost them seven points when, after a mazy solo run, Shane Williams popped up a ball in contact only for flyhalf Francois Trinh-Duc to grasp it and sprint 30m to goal.
Parra sunk the conversion from tough angle, and being 20-0 down with France still having five gears at their disposal, it was effectively over as a contest. Or so it seemed.
Wales’ woes were amplified when they butchered a wonderful scoring opportunity four minutes after the restart – lock Luke Charteris knocking on with the line beckoning and just a wing to negotiate.
Then the drama reached its climax. A multi-phase move culminated in the ball being shifted wide to Leigh Halfpenny, who raced in to the corner. Jones sent the ball sailing through the posts to draw his side to within a converted try.
To compound France’s trouble, Parra was sin-binned for an infringement in the build up to that try, and Wales had a number of chances to punish 14-man opponents, the best of those when Jamie Roberts failed to find a support runner on his outside who would have scored under the posts.
They’d regret that, and if Frederic Michalak’s 70th minute penalty helped France breath easier, Parra’s third in the 78th sealed the result. Williams would score a late converted try, but Michalak simply booted the restart into touch to keep their Grand Slam dream alive.
151 Comments
26 Feb 2010, 21:38 pm
go wales
26 Feb 2010, 21:38 pm
/\___/\
/// . . \\\
\\\ ^ ///
ROAR …®
26 Feb 2010, 21:39 pm
@grant10: Commiserations mate.
26 Feb 2010, 21:39 pm
i’m backing the Frogs on this one!
26 Feb 2010, 21:44 pm
@Transformation: think they have it wrapped up.
26 Feb 2010, 21:45 pm
Ryan Jones has a dickie calf and mightn’t last long.
26 Feb 2010, 21:49 pm
@Big Hit: dickie calf? that sounds like a nasty injury.
26 Feb 2010, 21:51 pm
@RedLion:
he was wearing an ice pack and hasn’t trained all week. Who you pulling for in this one, the frogs?
26 Feb 2010, 21:53 pm
@Big Hit:
the Frogs all the way. NH is better off with the Frogs and the POMS dominating the smaller nations.
26 Feb 2010, 21:56 pm
@RedLion: agree, the little guys make too much noise when they punch above their weight. I think France will dominate tonight.
26 Feb 2010, 22:00 pm
@RedLion: 3 thanks RL
Good luck for tomorrow. I am pretty gutted…..Justrugby and i were there….tough to lose the close ones…..
26 Feb 2010, 22:01 pm
Be glad Skinstad’s not commentating this game.
26 Feb 2010, 22:01 pm
Come on Wales!
26 Feb 2010, 22:03 pm
The Dragons are sining their song, beautiful.
26 Feb 2010, 22:09 pm
kaplan is going to blow new interpretations hahahaha
26 Feb 2010, 22:10 pm
@Transformation: **** interpretations
26 Feb 2010, 22:11 pm
Palisson try
26 Feb 2010, 22:12 pm
go Frogs…first blood
26 Feb 2010, 22:12 pm
whats happening there…i am not watching….need some comments gents please!
26 Feb 2010, 22:12 pm
There we go, let the carnage begin.
7-0 Frogs
26 Feb 2010, 22:16 pm
@Big Hit: #16
in the case of kaplan, yeh “****” interpretations, he had the runs the other night…
These commentators are so biased they can’t help themselves.
26 Feb 2010, 22:16 pm
@Transformation: who you listening to? Davies?
26 Feb 2010, 22:18 pm
bloody frogs as well….when the rugby gods turn on you its harsh sh it!
Sharks, Stormers now wales…fark me!!!
26 Feb 2010, 22:19 pm
both national anthems are beautiful.
french is a lot of huff and puff and motivating
but wales is gentle and…. to me…. more soul stirring
26 Feb 2010, 22:25 pm
welsh turbo reverse!
26 Feb 2010, 22:26 pm
the release interpretation…
26 Feb 2010, 22:27 pm
10-0
26 Feb 2010, 22:27 pm
penalty converted by frogs 10-0
26 Feb 2010, 22:29 pm
nice break Taffs, Jones should’ve held on to it
26 Feb 2010, 22:31 pm
are wales being drilled in scrums?
Fark me….june 12 th we better choose Boks carefully….i will be at newlands….no bloody turbo reverse scrums please pdv!!!
26 Feb 2010, 22:32 pm
@grant10: can we please leave it out of at least one thread?
26 Feb 2010, 22:34 pm
@Big Hit: 31
ja….but i seriously want to know how the french are scrumming BH??
26 Feb 2010, 22:36 pm
@grant10: solid mostly, they’ve conceded one pen, Wales have a reserve hooker and loosehead on. Never known a 10 so obsessed with scrums
26 Feb 2010, 22:39 pm
@grant10: 32
the Taff forwards are heavier than the Frogsforwards by 5kg per man. The Frog props are small but quick. In the scrums the Frogs seems to have no problem.
but I am no fatty so do not take my word.
26 Feb 2010, 22:41 pm
@Tacitus: The French commentators are pretty bad… but Skinny is worse.
26 Feb 2010, 22:42 pm
Man that frog hookers jersey and his face is all torn up.
26 Feb 2010, 22:44 pm
damn…clifton se moer man….i miss my dstv!
26 Feb 2010, 22:44 pm
@fish out of water: dude those are not French commentators. The one speaks English and the other speaks a language I do not understand. I think that it is Welsh or mouse, a horrible, horrible language.
26 Feb 2010, 22:44 pm
great continuinty by france but then they lose the ball…the french are dominating the collisions.
the french are moering these guys in the scrum!
26 Feb 2010, 22:45 pm
@RedLion: ‘I think that it is Welsh or mouse’
it’s a bit of both
26 Feb 2010, 22:47 pm
@Transformation: 39
Dont tell me that Transie…i will have sleepless nights worrying about our bok front row man!!
26 Feb 2010, 22:47 pm
grant you need to have seen this game!!!! Turbo reverse 5000!!! new gears added to the model!
26 Feb 2010, 22:49 pm
20-0
glad I put money on this one
26 Feb 2010, 22:49 pm
try time Frogs!?!
26 Feb 2010, 22:50 pm
2nd intercept try for the Frogs.
26 Feb 2010, 22:51 pm
@RedLion: I live in France so luckily I am watching French tv, Welsh sounds damn awful to listen to.
Another intercept try by France…Trihn-Duc even turned around to see if the ref was going to blow the whistle – couldn’t believe his luck.
France 20 – Galles 0
26 Feb 2010, 22:52 pm
@Transformation: 42
Fark me…are you serious Transie???
Hell i hope PDV watching then…..
oh hell….kak coming unless we get bj back in time….and i am starting to seriously worry about beast as well!!!
26 Feb 2010, 22:52 pm
@fish out of water: lol he’s speaking english with a welsh accent, it’s Jonathan Davies former wales flyhalf
26 Feb 2010, 22:53 pm
half-time…the Frogs are cruising this one, even with Bastereaud(sp) not having a storming game… French frontrow very mobile, smit won’t match these okes on the park…
26 Feb 2010, 22:56 pm
@Transformation: 49
Transie….smit must retire my man…..Bissy is far too valuable to drop…he was one of the few sharks who gave it his all today….Smit is a liability now….sorry to say but its the truth…every game more and more exposed…next week tahs with robinson….i am kakking myself already!
26 Feb 2010, 22:58 pm
@Transformation: @grant10: can you two quit it for 5 minutes? it’s the Six Nations
it’s the same all the time on here, a constant drum beat 
26 Feb 2010, 22:58 pm
If the World cup were this year, France definitely would be among the major favourites. They look really good.
26 Feb 2010, 22:59 pm
this jonathan davies guy has a weird squeaky voice plus he is does what Tacitus was lamenting about skinstad ie praises everything wales does & merely narrates what the french did brilliantly…
26 Feb 2010, 23:00 pm
@Big Hit: english with a welsh accent is still bloody awful, almost as bad as glaswegian.
26 Feb 2010, 23:03 pm
@Nils: long road yet. Wales have a few injuries just now.
26 Feb 2010, 23:05 pm
brilliant attack from Williams and Hook
26 Feb 2010, 23:07 pm
Groundhog’s day. I bet if I log in here next time after a few months, the same old story (Smit at 3, turbo reverse, etc.) will be going on and on. And on.
26 Feb 2010, 23:08 pm
@Big Hit: hey 008, we know about your mission to lull us into a sense of false bravado…
26 Feb 2010, 23:10 pm
@Big Hit: Right. That’s why i say, if it were this year. Just have to say, France finally look consistently good this year. No guessing which team will turn up until now.
26 Feb 2010, 23:11 pm
@Nils: after a few years it will be the same
20-6, comeback is on??
26 Feb 2010, 23:13 pm
@Nils: 57
Hopefully he wont be farking around at 3 …and either be at 2 or retired …then no need for saffas to be worried….as we are!
26 Feb 2010, 23:15 pm
@grant10: he’ll be coach
26 Feb 2010, 23:15 pm
@Big Hit: scrum coach
26 Feb 2010, 23:15 pm
@Transformation: 58
Ja….bloody Minister of Disinformation our 008 BH….RFU undercover agent
Licence too lull us into a sense of ‘ dont worry about the scrums in the modern game’….
Bull ust…think we farken stupid????
Screw that…we gonna take them in the scrums too….
26 Feb 2010, 23:16 pm
@Big Hit: 62
Will i never be rid of the bloody Barney!!!
26 Feb 2010, 23:18 pm
Wales doing much better now
26 Feb 2010, 23:18 pm
@grant10: I am sure all folks here know perfectly well your worries. No need to drill it into the heads at each and every opportunity really, after umpteenth time it loses intended effect and becomes just annoying. No insult indended, of course.
By the way, hard luck to your beloved Stormers. Snatched defeat from the probable jaws of victory.
26 Feb 2010, 23:20 pm
French are building nicely for Wc 2011 while we are decomposing.
If we don’t build a new team in the next year we done, it’ll be Aussie and Nz and France battling it out for the prize
26 Feb 2010, 23:22 pm
@Nils: 67
yeah….justrugby and i were bloody inconsolable….tough loss….
but thats rugby and top pro sport…a game of inches ….and we need to man up for next week….
i am proud of the stormers….we are no easy beats….but a home loss may be the difference come the last weekend….pity….
brumbies looking good….great team….but bulls look the eal deal….after a couple of rounds anyway.
long way to go still.
26 Feb 2010, 23:22 pm
@skopskiet: not Aussie imo
26 Feb 2010, 23:22 pm
@skopskiet: start with a new coach
26 Feb 2010, 23:23 pm
@Big Hit: I will believe in comeback when i see Wales scoring a try. Until then I am not worried too much. 2 try cushion is good enough and all Frogs need is to keep them at arms lenght.
26 Feb 2010, 23:23 pm
try Wales…..
26 Feb 2010, 23:23 pm
@skopskiet: 68
and the okes moan because i get obsessive about that building…we either do it from june or throw our title aspirations away….
26 Feb 2010, 23:24 pm
this game opening up now…whats the score?
26 Feb 2010, 23:24 pm
1 try in it
26 Feb 2010, 23:25 pm
the commentators “surely we’ve got another comeback”
26 Feb 2010, 23:26 pm
Ok, NOW France better start doing something. They become too lazy and complacent. Credit to the Welsh, of course.
26 Feb 2010, 23:26 pm
which frog team team came through in the 2nd half?!
26 Feb 2010, 23:26 pm
Parra yellowed, France down to 14
26 Feb 2010, 23:27 pm
sounds like an awesome game
26 Feb 2010, 23:29 pm
@grant10: not awesome but it’s going to be quite a finish, Wales have to be favourites now
26 Feb 2010, 23:30 pm
cmon froggies!
my peanut is still sleeping so i will watch this game out.
26 Feb 2010, 23:30 pm
82
Some turnaround….20 to 13….how much time left BH?
26 Feb 2010, 23:31 pm
Wales just blew a try
26 Feb 2010, 23:31 pm
Clifton is cool but this lack of dstv is seriously sterting to make me the moer in man.
26 Feb 2010, 23:32 pm
come on wales….cmon boys!!!!
26 Feb 2010, 23:32 pm
the welsh ref, davies is it, is an annoying guy.
he probably annoys himself without even konwing it.
wales prove themselves as capable of squanderig a linebreak as the stormers.
26 Feb 2010, 23:33 pm
at least stormers make a linebreak??
26 Feb 2010, 23:33 pm
it’s confirmed, this davies oke ******* irritates me with his whining voice, damn!
26 Feb 2010, 23:33 pm
my typing has gone to shite.
26 Feb 2010, 23:34 pm
Come on Wales! Create some magic and feed Williams and Halfpenny
26 Feb 2010, 23:35 pm
how much time left…and someone take pity and tell me what is happening???
26 Feb 2010, 23:35 pm
FFS…guys please….what the hell is happening there man!
26 Feb 2010, 23:35 pm
pen France
23-13
8 mins left
26 Feb 2010, 23:36 pm
@Transformation:
how he got the gig is a mystery.
no qualms about objectivity for these guys.
“he’s got it” sounds like “my mother died” when he says it.
26 Feb 2010, 23:36 pm
michalak converts the penalty! Davies sounds deflated.
26 Feb 2010, 23:37 pm
@Big Hit: @Transformation: Thanks chaps….dammit….may be the death knell…
26 Feb 2010, 23:37 pm
davies is annoying it’s true
26 Feb 2010, 23:38 pm
Anybody who saw davies play in those hideous tight white shorts will not be suprised at his castrato voice..
26 Feb 2010, 23:38 pm
@grant10: it feels like that’s the game, France back to 15. my money safe
26 Feb 2010, 23:39 pm
@Big Hit: he is getting more annoying as the game goes on and the frogs take control again.
“not a bad welsh scrum”
they were all on their backs in the mud lmao!
26 Feb 2010, 23:41 pm
grant: it’s tense at the moment, france still drilling wales in the scrums but wales were undoing the french with the kick over the defence but they butchered their opportunities…the french switched off for 10min & got punished…but french are awake…back to even contest with 4min to go…
26 Feb 2010, 23:41 pm
@Big Hit: back to 15? its only 12 surely?
23-13
or am i watching a delayed live version?
oh ja, 15 players! ja, frogs seem to betaking control.
26 Feb 2010, 23:42 pm
carol and her man at the game ….tough on them…fark…we all had a bad day today.
BH….my irish boys got you lads tomorrow…may the best team win…i got poms by 5….my great grandad will be spinning in his grave…
26 Feb 2010, 23:42 pm
26-13
game, set…match
cheers all, later.
26 Feb 2010, 23:42 pm
it’s all over rover para about to convert penalty!!
26 Feb 2010, 23:43 pm
penalty in front of the posts, 26-13 to come, frogs to win easily.
78 mins.
over.
26 Feb 2010, 23:43 pm
@Transformation: 103
Ta my man
i am so moeg and a long day tomorrow….but hanging in here….hows the little lady doing Rangerman?
26 Feb 2010, 23:43 pm
@grant10: it will be tight, later g10
26 Feb 2010, 23:44 pm
@Big Hit: cheers Bh …GREAT FRENCH WIN….SEEMS THE FRANCE …ENG GAME MAY BE THE DECIDER…ALTHOUGH MY IRISH MAY MESS THAT UP.
26 Feb 2010, 23:44 pm
shane williams, the little hobbit try!
26-18, conversion to come, over!
is there time?
26 Feb 2010, 23:45 pm
@Big Hit: 110
JA…ENJOY TOMORROW…I AM OUT WHOLE DAY ….CHEERS
26 Feb 2010, 23:46 pm
@grant10: awesome thanks, ok, game over and feeding time, pleasnt evening all!
26 Feb 2010, 23:46 pm
@rangerman: 112
***** BELLS….CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!
26 Feb 2010, 23:46 pm
@rangerman: gOOD …CHEERS NOW…OUTTA HERE AS WELL
SEE YOU ALL….CHEERS TRANSIE .
26 Feb 2010, 23:47 pm
Great game who would have thought there would be more tries in a 6 nations game than a super 14..
26 Feb 2010, 23:51 pm
I’m no Wales/Williams fan but that try he just scored a minute from time was a pearler…might have lost a FEW yards but great feet still.
Loose trio of Bonnaire,Dusseautoir,Harinodiquoy is class..great balance.would like to see Chabal at 8 as supersub.he is no lock.
26 Feb 2010, 23:52 pm
Well done France – unfortunately I forgot to make the superbru selection in my hurry to get home and watch the Stormers lose.
K#k day.
26 Feb 2010, 23:54 pm
@mshiniwami:
As far as no 8′s are concerned Harinodiquoy and Parisse have no equals in rugby today.
26 Feb 2010, 23:55 pm
if both these teans were playing jake white’s boks there wouldn’t have been any tries, we would’ve defended them into submission.
26 Feb 2010, 23:57 pm
Well, finally my i-net connection resumed. Congrats, France (jubilation!), still kudos for Wales – did a good job in the 2nd half.
As for irritating Davies, OK, his voice is not the music in the ears, still I think it’s great to have positively ‘biased’ commentators with emotions.
Like Aussie mob (Kafer, Kearns and Martin). Or the great Hugh Bladen. Or Kiwi Mexted and Stu Wilson (Nisbett and Johnson are OK, too, they are just too “polite”). Or late Bill Maclaren.
If only Davies had a slightly different voice…
26 Feb 2010, 23:58 pm
He’d still be annoying ..
27 Feb 2010, 00:00 am
@gunther: Probably. Still give me him over Stransky and Brosnihan any day.
27 Feb 2010, 00:00 am
cheers grant…
27 Feb 2010, 00:01 am
@gunther: And Garth Wright.
They may be greats as a players but I hate commentators who FORCE you to WATCH all the time not to miss a score. They are so life-less.
27 Feb 2010, 00:02 am
Those three made for each other throw in andy capastagno the postman and you have your hall of fame right there…
27 Feb 2010, 00:03 am
hi-lites of the saders & sharks on NOW, i gotta see this demolition!
27 Feb 2010, 00:05 am
@gunther: Right. I would put Andy on higher level because he use to say informative things, too. i like him more than aforementioned gentlemen.
Still, for an English speaking foreigner, nobody beats Hugh Bladen from SA commentators. He may be drunkard but I like him very very much.
Wish he could cover all the games in SA, not just those in highveld.
27 Feb 2010, 00:06 am
Harinodiquoy has tightened up his game from his early days when he exploded on the scene in 2002.has taken him a while but he is now a complete 8.gained size as well.Parisse is as elegant as they come,great skills set but has had discipline problems in recent times.great 8 though.these 2 play behind 2 excellent scrums-it helps.
If England were smart they’d play the athletic Haskell at8 instead of tub of lard that is Easter.he must stick to delivering meat.Haskell possibly on athletic fwd in England.excellent speed/explosive power.would be a gem in SH.
27 Feb 2010, 00:07 am
Nils
Hugh is a national treasure
27 Feb 2010, 00:09 am
@Nils:
Yeah, I use to despise old Hughie but as the new breed of local commentators appeared on the scene I realised how good he actually is.
27 Feb 2010, 00:10 am
Mshini
Haskell is handy behind a camera as well as the scrum
He was expelled from school for making a porn video
27 Feb 2010, 00:12 am
@gunther:
Hopefully he did not also act in the movie?
27 Feb 2010, 00:13 am
Give him a break rob
It’s not easy watching rugby through the bottom of a him and tonic glass
The lemon gets in the way
27 Feb 2010, 00:15 am
@gunther:
#135
Ja shame, the blurred vision and lemon also once made him miss the edge of a balcony.
27 Feb 2010, 00:15 am
I think he did
Him and a mate filmed each other with this bird
A believe premiership footballers refer to this as a spit roast
Whatever can they mean?
27 Feb 2010, 00:20 am
@Robzim: if van Niekerk was eligible for France he would be in the team, everywhere I go and people find out I am South African all I hear is Joe is so good, why can’t he play for France?
Parisse being out injured this 6 Nations is massively disappointing I was looking forward to seeing him play in an improving Italian team.
27 Feb 2010, 00:22 am
@gunther:
Lol, jissus, I am not sure, sounds dodgy, you tell me
27 Feb 2010, 00:23 am
@Robzim: @gunther: He was the first one SA man with a microphone I listened to while watching rugby. At first his vocal tones annoyed me, then I listened to a few other guys (Campostagno, Pierce, the grey haired guy with moustache who covers WP/Stormers games, Stransky, Skinstad, Brosnihan, etc. etc.) and I realised that old Hugh beats them all hands down. When I saw him debating with Aussie colleagues during the 3N game in Australia (a few years ago), I liked him even more.
He is a man with knowledge and passion for SA rugby and, most important, he SHOWS it. He really cares. I honestly like him very much.
27 Feb 2010, 00:24 am
Robert
I am a cuntry boy
Let’s just agree that haskell is a class act and leave it at that
Went to the greatest rugby school on England
27 Feb 2010, 00:26 am
@fish out of water:
I am also a huge fan of Joe but I guess he has burned his bridges with the current SA rugby regime. Pity, at his best he would walk into the Bok team imo.
27 Feb 2010, 00:28 am
Robert
I am a country boy
Let’s agree that haskell is an exciting prospect
My Boet played with him at school
27 Feb 2010, 00:30 am
@Nils:
I believe he was not a bad flyhalf in his days either. He played for TvL (nowadays the golden Lions) and I think also for the Junior Boks in his younger days.
27 Feb 2010, 00:31 am
Matt pierce had irritated me recently he really has become quite parochial
27 Feb 2010, 00:37 am
@gunther:
I also love the country
Specially the (lack of) traffic.
I will keep an eye on Haskell tomorrow.
He was brilliant against Wales – indeed an exciting player.
I am out – see u.
27 Feb 2010, 00:44 am
See you all tomorrow, take care and have a good time!
27 Feb 2010, 02:51 am
@grant10: Hi Grant, the Welsh had us screaming at the end…..Shane Williams pulled out another fantastic try in the dying minutes of the game!!
The ref was ‘harsh’ on the Welsh!!
…..and I come back to find the Stormers have lost too!
27 Feb 2010, 02:52 am
@Robzim: See your 7mm of neopreme kept you safe from sharks today!!
27 Feb 2010, 07:25 am
carol….what a disaster rugby day yesterday…sharks…stormers …wales….
i need to overdose on happy pills…
feels like i lost a body organ…heart ripped out!
27 Feb 2010, 12:16 pm
@grant10: 149- Yep disaster….. At least there were two great trys to get us on our feet from Leigh Halfpenny and Shane Williams, too little too late tho.
A walk on the beach should restore your spirits…..perhaps a cold Windhoek with lunch too!!
2 out of 4 so far on supeBru…Not good either there!
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