Martyn Williams’s late try sealed the win and ten points from the boot of Stephen Jones and nine from James Hook helped Wales record an amazing second slam in four seasons.
Warren Gatland, and his coaching team of Shaun Edwards and Rob Howley have helped to transform the dragons from their early Rugby World Cup in just four months and star centre Gavin Henson made it a perfect 10 wins out of 10 starts in the RBS Six Nations.
Both sides agreed to close the Millennium Stadium roof with the rain continuing to pour down in Cardiff, but that wasn’t to dampen the mood as a sell-out crowd and an estimated quarter-of-a-million fans filled the Welsh capital waiting for a huge party.
Wales faced a stiff test as opponents France set out in search of their third successive title. To do so, Marc Lievremont’s men needed to win by 20 points to gatecrash the party.
Lock Ian Gough led the Three Feathers out on his 50th cap to an electric atmosphere and flag waving home crowd, but in a nervy opening, hooker Huw Bennett missed with his first line-out and Lee Byrne’s ambitious long-range drop goal inside two minutes fell short. Gatland had challenged James Hook to produce the game of his life for Wales and he duly produced with a moment of magic in the fifth minute. His superb flick pass released centre Tom Shanklin and the ball found its way to Mark Jones but he slipped at the vital moment.
Wales built on their early dominance and Hook opened the scoring with a routine penalty in the fifth minute, and his opposite number David Skrela responded with an awful re-start which went backwards into touch. Hook continued to set the tempo on 11 minutes when he smashed France’s Anthony Floch into touch and although he missed a second penalty, he charged down Skrela’s hesitant kick seconds later.
Jean-Baptiste Elissalde reduced the deficit to three before Hook fired Wales 9-3 ahead with his third penalty on 21 minutes. France threatened briefly but the home side’s defence stood firm, Martyn Williams symbolising Wales’s desire with a crucial turnover on 32 minutes, but Elissalde cut the lead to three on the stroke of half time after Gavin Henson was given a yellow card for a high tackle on Fulgence Ouedraogo.
France levelled through Elissalde’s third penalty but Wales had weathered the storm as Henson returned. before Williams proved the difference. Yannick Jauzion dropped the ball and Williams hacked on twice before crashing over for his 41st Test try. Jones converted and Wales were in dreamland.
Jones then sent Wales ten points clear with a penalty before Dimitri Yachvili and Jones exchanged penalties in the final ten minutes before Martyn Williams burst through a gaping hole with four minutes remaining to spark wild celebrations in Cardiff.
