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Second in a row Six Nations: Jenkins' try seals Wales win over France
Updated: Sunday March 18, 2001 10:56 AM
SAINT-DENIS, France (AP) -- Crowning a superb second half, kick specialist Neil Jenkins scored a try in stoppage time that sealed Wales' 43-35 victory over France Saturday in the Six Nations rugby tournament. Jenkins delivered a string of successful penalty and drop kicks before breaking through the inconsistent French defense to secure Wales' second win in a row at the Stade de France. France dominated throughout most of the first half, but a Welsh try minutes before the break shattered the home side's confidence, and despite a comeback late in the second half, was unable to recapture its former aggression. France opened the scoring after just eight minutes with a try from center Sebastien Bonetti, playing only his second international game, thanks to a winning pass from fly half Gerald Merceron. Merceron converted to give France a 7-0 lead. Winger Philippe Bernat-Salles narrowly missed putting France further ahead two minutes later with a superb run down the right side, which ended inches away from the Welsh goal line. The two sides exchanged penalty kicks for the next 25 minutes, including a spectacular 50-meter (yard) kick from Jenkins, but Wales was thwarted by the efficient French defense as France led by up to 13 points. The turnaround for Wales came in the 37th minute when Rob Howley came off a scrum deep in the Welsh half to deliver a blistering run all the way to the goal line. Jenkins converted to put Wales back in the game on 16 points to France's 19.
The French defense failed to recover after the break and an unmarked Scott Quinnell took a pass from Mark Taylor to score and put Wales in the lead for the first time. Jenkins' conversion put the visitors on 23-19. High-scoring Frenchman Christophe Lamaison, replacing injured Merceron, took a 27-meter (yard) penalty kick to put France just one point behind the visitors. But Wales raced ahead thanks to a close-range drop goal from Jenkins. Wales winger Daffyd James dodged Fabien Galthie to score the visitors' third try and lead by 33-22 in the 54th minute thanks to Jenkins' successful conversion. Jenkins missed a penalty a minute later and France began to hit back. The hard work paid off when Bernat-Salles collected a pass from veteran full back Jean-Luc Sadourny before powering down the right side of the field to score. Lamaison's conversion put the French on 29 points and a penalty kick left the home side trailing by just one point. Another successful penalty taken by Lamaison put France briefly in the lead. But with just two minutes to go, a long-range drop kick from Jenkins, the outstanding player of the match, allowed Wales to edge ahead by just one point, 36-35. Jenkins' try in stoppage time, which he followed with a 33-meter (yard) conversion, extended the lead to 43-35. After claiming its first win of the tournament, Wales was on three points while France remained on four points. The teams: France -- Jean-Luc Sadourny; Philippe Bernat-Salles, Sebastien Bonetti, Thomas Lombard, Christophe Dominici; Gerald Merceron, Fabien Galthie; Christian Califano, Raphael Ibanez, Pieter de Villiers, David Auradou, Fabien Pelous, (captain), Christophe Moni, Olivier Magne, Christophe Juillet. Wales -- Rhys Williams; Gareth Thomas, Mark Taylor, Scott Gibbs, Daffyd James; Neil Jenkins, Rob Howley; Darren Morris, Robin McBryde, David Young (captain), Ian Gough, Andy Moore, Colin Charvis, Martyn Williams, Scott Quinnell.
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