The Williams and Jones show leaves Paris open-mouthed
Wales recorded one of the greatest victories of their illustrious history in Paris on Saturday, producing a stunning fightback to beat France 24-18 at the Stade de France -- and remain on course for the 2005 RBS Six Nations grand slam.
Rugby matches do not come more gripping! It was a splendid match at magnificent Stade de France on Saturday evening as Wales continued on their merry way.
Wales simply turned the match on its head in the second half with one of the greatest fightbacks of recent times. It was a great display of character and skill.
It was thrilling, gripping, adventurous -- the best of rugby football. Forget the half-time score, France were all over Wales in the first half. They were all over Wales for much of the second half but when Stephen Jones turned his back on the French and booted the ball over his own dead-ball line to end the match Wales were the winners.
Not allowed to wear the beer brand BRAINS on the jerseys, Wales wore BRAWN instead. There was brawn -- and a lot besides ... like brain, sinew and heart.
It was a great day for rugby football and all that is best in the game.
What a start! The speed and the intensity of that first half were high and France ran left and right and all over the field.
Suddenly the French were the French that everybody, especially the French, want the French to be. They ran onto icy Stade de France and were on fire from the start. Had their opponents been lesser mortals than the Welsh the score would have been lots, lots more than 15-6 at half-time.
The revelation was fullback Julien Laharrague, usually a wing for Brive. He is 26 and making his very first appearance for France. A secret weapon kept in reserve for just such an occasion. He was fast and skilled and caused the Welsh defence much anxiety.
Laharrague was part of an attack down the left wing that came back towards the right. The ball came back quickly to Dimitri Yachvili who dummied to pass right, swivelled and came left, sold another dummy and just swept through for a try which he converted. 7-0 after four minutes.
And the French kept on attacking. Yann Delaigue was playing a more varied game than he had managed in the first half. He ran to his right on the break and gave to Jauzion who slipped past a falling Gavin Henson. He gave to big, strong, fast Aurélien Rougerie who stormed ahead and managed to twist and force his way over as three Welshmen sought to stop him. 12-0 after just eleven minutes!
It looked as if a hiding was on the way,
Wales were being destroyed in the scrum. Rougerie and Laharrague and Traille and Jauzion were running free, but somehow the Welsh kept plugging the holes, till they had a chance to break out down the right. Rougerie was forced to kick a grubber out. From the line-out Sylvain Marconnet was off-side and Stephen Jones made it 12-3.
Traille had a great run but Gareth Thomas stomped him dead in full flight.
Yachvili goaled a penalty. 15-3 after 25 minutes. A French victory seemed a formality. Their forwards and backs attacked again and again with Serge Betsen and Yannick Nyanga prominent. Marconnet just put a left foot into touch as he went over in the corner. Rougerie thumped off Shane Williams but Wales countered off a French knock-on and surged into French territory. When Jérôme Thion did wrong things at a tackle, Stephen Jones made it 15-6.
Two different teams came out for the second half. The players wore the same names and clothes, but they were changed.
Now the Welsh were the ones running free, and it started when France seemed to be doing a de rigeur attack. The ball went loose and Stephen Jones raced 50 metres down the field to the French 22 on the right. Back the ball came left to Shane Williams on the left wing. He darted and played inside to Martyn Williams who crossed far out and then ran round to the posts. Stephen Jones converted. 15-13.
Shane Williams sparked the next Welsh rush and Wales moved the ball from touch-line to touch-line. France were penalised seven metres from their line. Wales tapped and charged. France were penalised five metres from their line. Wales tapped and charged and Martyn Williams reached out a telescopic arm to score in the corner. Wales led 18-15 and a phoenix miracle was on the cards as they carried on with their marvellous madness.
In their own 22 they tapped a penalty and ran till they knocked on on the French 22.
The French were not finished and attacked hotly till Frédéric Michalak kicked the drop that made it 18-all with 19 minutes to play.
Three minutes later Betsen was penalised and Stephen Jones made it 21-18. The thrill of it!
France got a penalty in their 22 and ran. Rougerie bumped off Kevin Morgan and replacement Imanol Harinordoquy surged ahead but fell wrongly and Wales turned the ball over. Madly, they did not kick. Instead replacement scrum-half Gareth Cooper broke. The Welsh ran. A grubber. Rougerie scrambled it out. A line-out. A drop -- and the drop bisected the uprights. 24-18, and all the druids and choirs must have been singing from Paris via the Rhondda to eternity.
There were still nine minutes to play, and France attacked for every one of those 540 seconds.
A scrum collapse led to a line-out six metres from France's line. The French bashed. William Servat was stopped three metres out. Jean-Philippe Grandclaude was stopped by the length of his name from the Welsh line. Grégory Lamboley was stopped three metres out. Servat was stopped three metres out, and the ball became unplayable.
The scrum was five metres from the Welsh line. Wales were penalised. France opted for another scrum. Wales were penalised. France opted for another scrum. But this time Harinordoquy failed to control the ball and Cooper scrambled it away. But back came France with every weapon in their amoury till Grandclaude lost the ball. Scrum to Wales -- a fragile scrum which somehow they won. Cooper gave to Stephen Jones who turned his back and kicked it dead.
Man of the Match: Shane Williams sparked things, Aurélien Rougerie was endlessly threatening, young Yannick Nyanga was skilful -- but our man-of-the-match was calm, effective Stephen Jones who did more than anybody else to win the match.
Moment of the Match: There were glorious moments -- more than the tries but probably the moment was when Stephen Jones turned his back and booted the ball high into the stand behind his dead-ball line. Then joy!
Villain of the Match: Nobody. All those people on the field should be enshrined forever. They were the way the game should be conducted and played.
The scorers:
For France:
Tries: Yachvili, Rougerie
Con: Yachvili
Pen: Yachvili
Drop: Michalak
For Wales:
Tries: M Williams 2
Pens: S Jones 3
Con: Jones
Drop: Jones
The teams:
France: 15 Julien Laharrague, 14 Aurélien Rougerie, 13 Yannick Jauzion, 12 Damien Traille (Jean-Philippe Grandclaude, 46), 11 Christophe Dominici, 10 Yann Delaigue (Frédéric Michalak, 49), 9 Dimitri Yachvili, 8 Julien Bonnaire (Imanol Harinordoquy, 59), 7 Yannick Nyanga, 6 Serge Betsen, 5 Jérôme Thion (Grégory Lamboley, 74), 4 Fabien Pelous (captain), 3 Nicolas Mas (Olivier Milloud, 49), 2 Sébastien Bruno (William Servat, 41), 1 Sylvain Marconnet.
Unused replacements: 20 Pierre Mignoni.
Wales: 15 Gareth Thomas (Rhys Williams, 41), 14 Kevin Morgan (Ceri Sweeney, 53-67), 13 Tom Shanklin, 12 Gavin Henson, 11 Shane Williams, 10 Stephen Jones, 9 Dwayne Peel ( Gareth Cooper, 67), 8 Michael Owen, 7 Martyn Williams, 6 Ryan Jones (Jonathan Thomas, 77), 5 Rob Sidoli, 4 Brent Cockbain, 3 Adam Jones (John Yapp, 67), 2 Mefin Davies (Robin McBryde, 65), 1 Gethin Jenkins.
Unused replacements: 19 Robin Sowden-Taylor.
Referee: Paul Honiss (New Zealand)
Touch judges: Alain Rolland (Ireland), Dave Pearson (England)
Assessor: Jim Irvine (Ireland)
Television match official: Carlo Damasco (Italy)
No comments:
Post a Comment