Wales were firm favourites to take the honours in this historic clash as the RBS 6 Nations broke new ground by playing its first game on a Friday evening. However the French had different ideas as they tackled everything that moved in a red shirt to deserve their victory in a full-blooded international.
Stephen Jones opened the scoring in the third minute with a relatively straight forward penalty right in front of the posts after the French were caught off-side. The French wasted no time in hitting straight back, surging up field from the re-start and earning a penalty which scrum half Morgan Parra made no mistake with to level the scores.
In a breathless opening, Wales regained the lead when Jones sent over his second penalty to silence the home fans.
Fly-half Benoit Baby was expected to be a weak link in the French side but his kicking out of hand was putting Wales under pressure as the home fans urged their home side on.
France were denied a try in the 20th minute when the TMO ruled Imanol Harinordoquy handled the ball in a ruck on the Wales try-line.
Wales burst into life in the 25th minute when Lee Byrne cut through the French defence like a hot knife through butter to scoot home from 30 metres. Tom Shanklin made the initial surge from quick ball from a lineout and Jones sent out a perfect pass for the flying full-back to waltz through. With Jones adding the conversion, Wales had shot into a 3-13 lead.
The French then asked some serious questions of the Welsh defence but the Dragons were well marshalled by veteran flanker Martyn Williams who kept Les Bleus at bay.
Parra reduced the Wales lead to seven points five minutes from the break with his second penalty but as the first half neared its end, a number of French players appeared to be feeling the pace of the game. Baby was forced off with an ankle injury to be replaced by Francois Trinh-Duc.
On the stroke of halftime the French stunned Wales with an unstoppable thrust. Harinordoquy picked the ball up from the base of a scrum 25 metres out from the Wales try-line. The No8 evaded the clutches of Wales skipper Ryan Jones to power towards the whitewash. The French recycled the ball quickly for flanker Thierry Dusautoir to force the ball over the line. With Parra adding the conversion, the sides went into the tunnel at the break tied at 13-13.
France had a chance to go into the lead in the 47th minute but Parra pulled his shot wide of the uprights as both teams threw everything at each other.
In the 52nd minute the referee went back to the TMO when winger Cedric Heymans went over in a double tackle by Jamie Roberts and Williams. The Toulouse flyer cut back against the grain to wrong foot the Welsh defence but it didn’t take long for the try to be confirmed to give the home side the lead for the first time in the match.
Wales coach Warren Gatland reacted swiftly by taking off Mike Phillips, Roberts and Matthew Rees who were replaced by Dwayne Peel, Gavin Henson and Huw Bennett.
France belied their underdog status by turning the screw on the Six Nations champions with uncharacteristic errors blighting Wales’s game. Wales attempts to break the shackles were proving in vain as the French defence swarmed all over the men in red.
Wales were left off the hook in the 65th minute when Parra hit the uprights for the second time in the game but there was little respite as France bombarded the Welsh defence. Trinh-Duc missed a drop goal as France continued to squander golden opportunities for points.
Eventually Parra was able to turn pressure into points when the teenager sent over a penalty to send France two scores clear to seriously dent Wales’s hopes of retaining the Grand Slam.
Replacement James Hook set up a cliffhanger finish when he pulled back three points with seven minutes remaining.
With the seconds ticking towards fulltime Wales threw the kitchen sink at France but despite their best efforts heroic defence by the French side saw Wales’s hopes of a repeat Grand Slam crashing deep into the Parisian night time.
