Michalak clears. We will have time for one Welsh line-out. Last throw of the dice here. Phillips, thinks about going, but is caught by Nyanaga. Three quick rucks. Stephen Jones caught in midfield. Luscombe and Watkins exchange passes...but the ball is turned over, Elissalde clears to touch, and that is it! A season to forget for Wales, but France have pulled a comeback out of the bag, and surely now have the title. Ireland must beat England by 34 points at Twickenham to claim the title, near-impossible, no matter how bad England have got. Cheers from Cardiff!
79
Wales not dead yet though! Luscombe breaks, to Henson. Tackled! out wide, Martyn Williams, Shane Williams, a gap...oh no1 the offload goes to ground, and France have a scrum to clear. Seconds to go.
78
Now France have a penalty at the line-out, and Elissalde can make this a killer blow....over it goes! 16-21, and France may well have just wrapped up the title.
76
Phillips goes again off the fringe! Down to the French 22, but Heymans manages to hold him up, and a messy offload goes to Elissalde, who clears magnificently into the Welsh half under pressure. Philips has been superb today.
74
Rougerie clears the restart well. Wales with it all to do now - the roles of last year almost reversed, France coming back from 13-3 down, and now lead 18-16! But a drop goal can still do it for Wales. JOnathan Thomas comes on for Sidoli. Traille launches a huge clearance. Time ticks on.
72
French shepherd the ball across to Traille to clear, Henson punts it back. Well-claimed by Traille. a huge clearance, and Sidoli knocks it into touch! France throw, in roughly the same position they scored their try from. Thion takes. Out to MIchalak, a chip, Fritz gets the ball..try! Under the posts, a sweet try, and Wales will be fuming. They thought they had a try themselves a minute ago, and now they are undone by a moment of artistry. Elissalde knocks over the conversion, and it is 16-18!
71
Wales get away, Williams in space, he chips, Dominici covers, but is caught again, and the ball squirts free! Williams hacks on, Michalak dives on it, misses it, and Williams touches down! A try maybe? We go to the video ref...who says Michalak got it down. A hair's breadth call.
70
If the result stays as it is, England will still have a chance, but they would have to beat Ireland by 33 points. France attack down the left now, Rougerie just passes forward to Dominici, and Wales have a scrum.
68
Michalak misses touch with the penalty! Williams runnig it back, a chip...but Rougerie is there to cover. French line-out back on their own 22.
66
Line-out is a mess, and Chris White starts bossing the perplexed forwards to tidy it up. Good French defence off the maul, but Jones manages to clear to the corner. Dominici caught in possession, and Philips makes another break....but Martyn Williams is penalised for obstructing a defender, and a chance goes begging.
65
Another French mistake, Marconnet knocks on a simple ball. They are starting to run out of time. Wales look to run the penalty, and they get an extra 10m as Fritz had not retreated.
64
French maul the line-out strongly...but Wales have turned it over! Excellent defence again, and the Welsh get the scrum.
62
Phillips breaks off a maul again! His fourth clean break, up to the 22, a chip, surely Phillips was obstructed? No says Chris White, and Shane Williams is forced to run the deep clearance into touch.
61
Heymans was tackled into touch. Jones clears from the line-out. Dominici runs it back, but the Welsh defence is superb again. Nallet, takes the ball from a quick penalty after Pophamis caught going off his feet, but Nallet inexplicably chips it, and it goes to touch. Only Victor Matfield does things like that!!
60
Traille charges into the Welsh midfield...French scrum, much to Martyn Williams's disgust, he thinks he should have had a penalty. Good scrum, out wide to Heymans! Heymans away...tackled by Watkins covering.
59
Dominici runs back well friom a quick line-out. ruck in the Wlesh half. Elissalde puts up a kick, but James and Henson cover and clear.
57
...over it goes!! 16-11! A superb kick from 48 metres!
56
Fritz makes a great break, but Jenkins tackles well. Ball hacked down by a Welsh boot deep into the French 22, superb clearance by Elisslade under pressure. Watkins runs it back, and earns a penalty for Wales with the French players going off their feet. Ball goes to Henson! Out of Jones's range or did golden boots just demand it?! Gavin Henson lines up a three-pointer...
55
A terrible throw by Davies, and France have a scrum on Wales' 22. Dangerous time for the Welsh now, France very much in the ascendancy.
54
Gethin Jenkins on for Duncan Jones - Jones had a really good game. LUscombe cuts the line again, but is well tackled by Fritz, and great French support steals the ball. Michalak bounces the ball into touch in the Welsh 22.
52
Duncan Jones, of all people, steals the line-out! Lovely handling by Adam Jones, Philips, Luscombe, Sidoli, Adam Jones...but turnover ball, and the French clear. Owen running it back, a good surge. Stephen Jones...but he spills it.
51
A huge kick from Henson returns the restart clearance almost to France's 22!
50
It smacks the post and rebounds outwards! 13-11, Wales still leading, but looking fragile. Magne on for Lievremont, Bonnaire goes to number eight.
49
Good take by Thion, a good maul, must be a try...it is! And it is Szarzewski who gets up with the ball, a simple line-out try for France. But can Elissalde get the conversion from the touchline?
48
Elissalde pushes it! Two missed chances for the French. Dorp out kicked back. Henson clears. rougerie takes a quick throw and then kicks a peach to the corner. James is forced into touch 3m from his own line, danger time for Wales.
47
Traille it is, not Elissalde. In any case the ball nearly goes to the corner, so badly is it pulled. Drop out, and immediately another penalty as Gough takes out Bonnaire in the air. Elissalde will give this one a go - it is 10m nearer.
46
Szarzewski's first throw, won, Elissalde's first pass is to Michalak, to Traille, Martyn Williams off his feet, penalty France on half-way, Elissalde could kick this one...
45
Ibanez is also off now, as is Yachvili, an early spate of substitutions. Henson clears from the line-out.
44
Mefin Davies is on at hooker for Rhys Thomas, but his first line-out is stolen. France try to move blind with Bonnaire, but the Bourgoin loose forward is pushed into touch.
42
Henson is at fullback instead of Byrne, he takes a high ball, up-and-unders it, and then turns Traille superbly in the tackle. But France do get it back. Yachvili kicks deep to Williams, who returns the favour.
41
Big news for Wales, Gavin Henson is on! can't quite see who is off...could be Watkins. Philips darts from the restart and charges at Dominici, now at full-back following the substitution of Castaignede for Heymans. Philips tackled well... lots of bodies, and a...French scrum!
40
Sidoli takes a line-out in the final play of the half. S Jones tackled in midfield. thomas and Gough take it on, and a penalty for Wales. Philips takes quickly, out to Watkins, now Popham. Watkins, a grubber...into touch. Half-time, an average game punctuated by some moments of real brilliance, but for Wales it is a vast improvement on what has gone before this year. See you in ten, as the French fight for their trophy!
38
...and makes it 13-6, as Ibanez comes back into the fray.
37
Luscombe into midfield, but he is very lateral, and is nailed by Traille, then gives away a penalty for holding on. Yachvili could land this one. He lines it up...
36
Castaignede gets through a wide gap! Going and going, great run...just brought down 5m out. Out the ball goes...ooof! Traille smashed by Martyn Williams, and Wales have survived.
35
Luscombe crunches Dominici in the line, and the support drives the French backwards. Good French re-grouping though. Nyanga...knocks on. Scrum Wales.
34
Jones slices the restart clearance to touch, not so good. France line-out, just outside the Welsh 22.
32
A Welsh back-line move breaks down badly, but Luscombe breaks, and it is brilliant! Luscombe, inside to Shane Williams! This must be a try! Williams caught, literally, by his shirt-tails, but he offloads to Luscombe who is under the posts! The numerical advantage counts, and a rare moment of wizardry lights up proceedings! the conversion is over, it is 13-3!
31
The game has gone very flat when Wales should be pressing home their numerical advantage. Drop-out chipped nicely, but Phillips knocks it on. French scrum inside their own 10m line.
29
France driving from a line-out, but Welsh forward turn it over again. Jones puts in a superb deep kick...too deep, and Castaignede touches down for a 22 drop out.
25
Welsh running the ball...good break, Luscombe, and he is away! Cuts outside Castaignede, inside to Jones, to Sidoli...surely he was taken out?Yes, says referee White, and Ibanez is sent to the bin for an early tackle! Penalty for Jones in a simple position...6-3, and France down to fourteen men.
23
Awful Welsh line-out, but it is tidied up, and Jones hoofs another big kick down into the French half.
22
Traille straightens from the line-out, French asking all the questions now...and the defence is solid and forces a penalty for holding on, excellent Welsh cover.
20
French go wide rfom the line-out, a little static, but Yachvili makes a great break! out to Castaignede now, good Welsh cover. Marconnet takes it on. Dominici twists and turns, but the Welsh defence is good for now. Yachvili hoists one for Nyanga...good mark by Williams - although he isn't happy, he thought he was away on a counter-attack!
19
Traille returns the territory gained by Williams's kick with a touch of interest. Welsh throw in their own 22, Gough takes, Jones clears.
17
Martyn Williams takes the line-out at the back in space, and puts in an enormous bouncing kick deep into the French 22. Any fly-half in the world would have been proud of that one!! Michalak clears, not to touch, Williams runs it back, now Byrne, Watkins...drops it, and Michalak clears again.
16
That's a huge clearance by Traille, down to the Welsh 22 without even bouncing, and no wind assistance with the roof closed. Great stuff - what Bill McLaren would have called a boomer.
14
Bosh! Ibanez is absiolutely creamed at the reatart! But he keeps his head and sets up Michalak for a clearance. Sidoli takes the line-out. Luscombe on the crash. Now Duncan Jones. Luscombe again. Welsh asking good questions. Out, and Byrne breaks! Numbers are over, James takes it on, Byrne...is hammered into touch by Fritz. Good Welsh attack, and the crowd has warmed up a bit. But Adam Jones gives away a penalty at the line-out.
12
Yachvili lines the kick up - about 45m away, well within his range. It's over! 3-3.
11
Four or five very very ordinary kicks from one 22 to the other. Gough now takes it into contact, and promptyl gives away a penalty for playing the ball on the ground. Not the classic we were all looking for so far.
8
Another wales penalty, this one for a high tackle. Jones kicks to touch near the corner, Wales have made quite a start...me and my big...fingers. Trunover ball, cleared to half-way by Rougerie, who chases and catches Watkins. More turnover ball, but Lievremont knocks on. Lots of French mistakes in the opening ten minutes.
6
MIchalak gets the ball in midfield, but it is sluggish ball, and Popham smashes him to the ground. But Castaignede comes in at fly-half from the ruck and makes a half-break. Turnover ball though. Duncan Jones makes good ground. Jones with a high ball...Dominici drops it this time! Wales scrum on halfway, France have not made a good start.
4
Gough takes the ball this time, Jones puts up a high ball, Castaignede and Rougerie conspire to drop it, Dominici falls on it, but is turned over. Out the ball goes, Popham obstructed cynically, and a little dust-up between Pelous and Williams. A nasty take-out by , heis a little fortunate not to be yellow-carded. Jones makes it 3-0 with the kick.
2
Pelous steals a line-out, Nyagan into the midfield...but he lets it go forward on the ground. Wales scrum. Reset a couple of times (yawn), then Phillips takes it off the whell, and breaks brilliantly! Bonnaire misses him, Magne slips off him! To 10m out, the offload...to ground of Williams's knee? No says referee white and the French can clear from the scrum.
1
Referee Chris White - he of Welsh wife (!) - gets us underway! Stephen Jones kicks it deep, straight to Michalak, and it goes to touch.
0
Welcome to Cardiff, a freezing cold Cardiff, even with the roof closed. It was one year ago to the day when the streets were awash with red dragon flags and cheering Welsh rugby fans celebrating the Grand Slam. Who could have thought that a year on, the team could be coach-less, captain-less, Henson-less, and direction-less on the pitch? But a win against France will restore much of the lost pride, for once again, the French have emerged as the team to beat as the tournament has progressed. If France win, they have the Six Nations title, and they are on a high after last week's thumping of England. Welsh rugby pride v the Six Nations title at stake, a cracker enough, but add to that mix the history of crackers between these two down the years! Delilah sung with gusto by the crowd, who are very up for this, it is going to be a special afternoon! Kick-off ten minutes away...
