WYN’S CRUELLY DENIED WALES
NO ONE has played more Test matches for their country than Alun Wyn Jones.
But even in his elongated career the Wales captain can never have felt as empty as when Brice Dulin scored with the last move of the match to steal the Grand Slam away in Paris on Saturday night.
Wales had come so close to touching greatness, only for the prize to be cruelly snatched away with the clock in the red.
“There’s no consolation in pride. It’s something you feel and put value on, but we came here to win,” said Wyn Jones.
“I thought we were pretty good for the 80-odd minutes of the game and obviously the final play France edged it.
“They built the pressure in those final minutes and indiscipline probably cost us.
“Pressure created error and we fell into that trap.
“We had an avalanche in terms improvement of performances but fell short.”
As France’s coach Fabien Galthie put it: “The Welsh stopped boxing after the 11th round.”
How a 10-point lead with a man advantage after the red card for Paul Willemse became a two-point loss with Taulupe Faletau and Liam Williams in the sin bin was a sorry tale of unravelling discipline which left Wales on the wrong end of a 14-6 penalty count.
That allied to France’s execution, which saw captain Charles Ollivon and then full-back Dulin cross in the last three minutes. Wales will still be favourites to lift the trophy as France must win the rearranged match against Scotland by 21 points and score four tries to pip them to the title.
A 20-point margin would see its destiny decided by tries scored, with Wales on five more than France at present.
If the French score five tries and win by 20 points, the championship would be shared.
Meanwhile, Ken Owens has branded Galthie’s accusation that Wales deliberately get opponents sent off as “ridiculous”.
Owens was outraged at the claim that Wyn Jones exaggerated the severity of the incident which saw Willemse become the third player to be red-carded against the Dragons in this season’s Six Nations.
Wales hooker Owens said: “It’s a little bit ridiculous because it’s something we don’t look to do.
“It wasn’t done on purpose or anything like that.”
Galthie, clearly hoping to have Willemse available for Friday’s decider in Paris, pleaded for leniency for the South African-born second row.