Mental edge aids France

France 32 Wales 21: France now top the table, with the grand slam on the horizon.

By contrast, Wales prop it up, with the wooden spoon beckoning, and they will travel to England, and to Italy on the penultimate weekend, in the knowledge that any repetition of their mistakes here on Saturday night will cost them dear.

Pierre Mignoni's abysmal box-kick, a lost lineout ball and a missed tackle or two meant that France gifted Wales an 11-point lead within the opening quarter-hour and suggested a possible repeat of the 2005 upset here.

However, this turned out to be not a game of two halves so much as a game of two halves of one half. A complete inability to manage the match and control possession, coupled with admirable sang froid by Les Bleus, meant Wales were unable to take the slightest advantage and the contest was looking beyond them by the interval.

The victory at Croke Park had indicated the French were developing a mental edge in adversity that bodes well for the World Cup, and that was confirmed on Saturday. There was no hint of panic after Alix Popham and Tom Shanklin had scored tries within the space of three minutes.

"We are moving forward but it is a bit painful," admitted the France flanker Serge Betsen, outstanding in his support play and tackling against Wales.

"We were given a scare in Ireland and again here. We are still fragile, but this win demonstrates maturity, command of the game and calmness.

"We have to look at our defence and lineout - we shipped three tries and that is worrying because defence has been our strong point up to now. There is room for a lot of improvement, but that's normal because we are bringing in new players all the time and it takes time to fit in."

For 20 minutes before half-time France also showed better organisation among their backs than of late, with Yannick Jauzion breaking the line, Clement Poitrenaud attacking from fullback and Christophe Dominici causing trouble wherever he popped up.

"Any other team might have thrown in the towel, but they are a rugged side," said the Wales openside flanker Martyn Williams. "They came right back at us and took us by surprise. They threw the ball wider and moved it quicker than we had expected. They didn't panic, just got the territory and got the points."

After tries from Dominici and Lionel Nallet had restored the lead, France looked set fair to blast the Welsh away, but instead David Skrela opted merely to control the second half by kicking for territory. It was as if, with the match in their grasp, France had been told not to show too much of what they can do.

The consensus among Les Bleus was that they will face a backlash from England at Twickenham and that any talk of the grand slam is premature.

For Wales, Martyn Williams summed it up: "You can't win games without territory or the ball." Guardian Service

FRANCE: Poitrenaud (Toulouse); Clerc (Toulouse), Marty (Perpignan), Jauzion (Toulouse), Dominici (Stade Français); Skrela (Stade Français; Beauxis, Stade Français, 79), Mignoni (Clermont-Auvergne); Milloud (Bourgoin), Ibanez (Wasps; August, Biarritz, 79), Mas (Perpignan; Marconnet, Stade Français, 65), Nallet (Castres; Lamboley, Toulouse, 79), Thion (Biarritz), Betsen (Biarritz), Bonnaire (Bourgoin), Vermeulen (Clermont-Auvergne; Harinordoquy, Biarritz, 71). Tries : Dominici, Nallet. Cons : Skrela 2. Pens : Skrela 5, Beauxis.

WALES: Byrne (Ospreys); M Jones (Llanelli; Robinson, Cardiff, 47), Shanklin (Cardiff), Hook (Ospreys), S Williams (Ospreys); S Jones (Llanelli), Peel (Llanelli); Jenkins (Cardiff), Rees (Llanelli; R Thomas, Cardiff, 76), Horsman (Worcester; D Jones, Ospreys, 55); Gough (Ospreys; Cockbain, Ospreys, 74), A Wyn-Jones (Ospreys); Popham (Llanelli), M Williams (Cardiff), R Jones (Ospreys). Tries : Popham, Shanklin, Robinson. Cons : S Jones 3.

Referee: T Spreadbury (England).