Laporte believes France can make it a hat-trick

Wales - 33, France - 37: After watching his side narrowly hold out a resurgent Wales to set up Le Crunch against England in the Stade de France in 12 days time, the intense, nervy France coach Bernard Laporte saw the funny side of what is likely to be the championship decider.

Ffterce's second victory out of two was only a little more convincing than the win by 20 points against Italy, and Laporte was asked where that left him for the encounter with England. "It's war," he said with a languid Gallic shrug, "so we have to decide whether we will turn up or not. We'll discuss it at the team meeting tonight, and make our minds up whether it is worth playing."

The question for Laporte, and France, is which version of les Bleus will turn up. The one which led by 15 points with half an hour remaining, the one which gave so much ball away that the Welsh simply could not believe their luck?

The French trainer had no illusions about the task awaiting his side.

Playing England, he said "will be like playing \ Tyson", due, it is to be hoped, to the sense of invulnerability which les Anglais exude rather than anything more nefarious.

"We will have to work hard on our physical preparation, we need better recuperation, better preparation. There will be more intensity in the rhythm of the game, because England can play flat-out for 80 minutes."

Wales only threatened in the first and final quarters, and England will present a far sterner physical test to a France team which faded after the hour. There has been much discussion in France of the national side's poor condition and fatigue.

Having blamed his players' consumption of red wine last winter, Laporte has concluded that it is because France's best clubs do not look after their players as well as English Premiership teams.

However, the France coach was rightly proud of the stouthearted and disciplined defence his side put up in the final nine minutes after Kevin Morgan's try a minute from the end of normal time put the hosts an unconverted try away from victory.

The back-row forward Serge Betsen, who has gone from strength to strength in the last 12 months, was the pick of the tacklers, together with the Bereted Bok Steven Hall, although the latter's poor handling in knocking on Stephen Jones's up-and-under led to Nathan Budgett's 58th-minute try.

"The last two scrums, the tackles by Peter de Villers and Olivier Milloud on Scott Quinnell and Aurelien Rougerie on James prove that this team has a soul," said Laporte. "There's a feeling between the players." The French players' feelings deep into an interminable spell of time added on can only be imagined as they twice had to wait for the video referee, to rule on the two touchdowns.

While James was clearly still in touch, and Quinnell said later he had not grounded the ball, before the arrival of the video referee last year the chances are that one of the scores at least would have been given.

Whatever reservations les Bleus may harbour about the Stade de France, they will not have to deal with the wall of noise the Millenium Stadium produced once the Wales fans scented an unlikely victory.

"If we can win against England, we can win the Championship," said Laporte. "We know they have been the best in Europe for two or three years, but here is the opportunity to show that they aren't."

WALES: K Morgan, James, Shanklin, Marinos, C Morgan, S Jones, Howley, John, McBryde, Anthony, C. Quinnell, Moore, Budgett, M Williams, S Quinnell. Replacements: R Williams for Marinos (71), D Jones for John (67), B Williams for McBryde (63), Gough for C Quinnell (68). Not Used: G Thomas, Peel, Harris. Sin Bin: S Quinnell (40).

FRANCE: Brusque, Rougerie, Marsh, Traille, Garbajosa, Merceron, Mignoni, Crenca, Ibanez, De Villiers, Privat, Brouzet, Betsen, Harinordoqui, Hall. Replacements: Bruno for Ibanez (66), Pelous for Privat (60), Audebert for Hall (69). Not Used: Milloud, Albouy, Gelez, Marlu.

Referee: D McHugh (Ireland)