French will remember Welsh resilience in huge clash
Quarterfinal opponents France and Wales are no strangers, owing to their annual clashes in the Six Nations, but their World Cup history is so far limited to one game: a tempestuous semifinal in 2011.
Their latest meeting in the Six Nations is also instructive, after Wales came from behind to win in Paris en route to a grand slam and their first title in six years.
Memories of France’s victory in the 2011 Rugby World Cup semifinals are still raw for Welsh fans, who watched their chances slip away when captain Sam Warburton was sent off after 19 minutes in Auckland.
Wales hadn’t reached the last four since the inaugural World Cup in 1987, while up-anddown France had lost to Tonga in the pool stages before beating a misfiring England 19-12 in the quarterfinals.
The early signs were good for Wales, who led 3-0 through a James Hook penalty. But disaster struck when talismanic skipper Warburton lifted Vincent Clerc and crashed him onto his back, earning a red card.
Three Morgan Parra penalties put France 9-3 up, but 14-man Wales were far from out of it as they threw themselves at the French defence.
They finally got their breakthrough in the 58th minute when scrumhalf Mike Phillips burst through a gap for a try – before Stephen Jones agonisingly missed the conversion.
With six minutes remaining, Leigh Halfpenny’s penalty from the halfway line fell just short and France repulsed a late charge to survive for a 9-8 win.
They were to lose the final by the same margin, when New Zealand won a tense match at Eden Park 8-7 to lift the trophy for the first time in 24 years.
Flyhalf Romain Ntamack made his debut in 2019’s Six Nations opener which started well for the hosts in Paris, as number eight Louis Picamoles swerved through the Welsh defence to put them 5-0 up.
Yoann Huget doubled their advantage with a burst of pace as he completed a backline move aided by Arthur Iturria’s back-of-the-hand offload.
Camille Lopez kicked a penalty and a drop goal to put France 16-0 ahead at the break.
But the tide turned in the second half as Josh Adams put Tomos Williams through for Wales’ first score.
George North capitalised on a big Huget mistake, when the winger fumbled the ball over his own try-line, to score Wales’ second before substitute Dan Biggar’s penalty made it 16-17 to the visitors.
Lopez kicked a penalty to put France back in front, but North pounced on another French error for the decisive try.
The 24-19 win demonstrated what has become known as trademark Welsh resilience, and will be at in the back of French minds heading into Sunday’s game in Oita.