France holds off Wales to reach final
October 16, 2011, Sunday
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Print Edition
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FRANCE held on to reach the Rugby World Cup final yesterday with a dramatic 9-8 victory over a brave Wales team forced to play three quarters of the game with 14 men after their captain Sam Warburton was sent off in Auckland.
Flanker Warburton was shown the red card in the 18th minute for a spear tackle on France winger Vincent Clerc, giving the French a huge advantage in their bid to reach a third World Cup final.
France made heavy weather of it but ultimately three penalties from the boot of flyhalf Morgan Parra and a huge defensive effort were enough to set up a final back at Eden Park next week against host New Zealand or Australia, who meet in the second semifinal today.
"It was a really tough game for us, and we are very happy to be in the World Cup final," said French captain Thierry Dusautoir.
"Today we won thanks to our defense. We defended well ... we played with our hearts."
Wales, which had lock Huw Richards sent off in its only previous semifinal against New Zealand in 1987, produced a herculean effort after Warburton's red card and scored the only try of the match in the 59th through scrumhalf Mike Phillips.
That reduced the contest to a one-point game, replacement flyhalf Stephen Jones grazing the post with the missed conversion that would have given the Welsh the lead.
Despite going through 25 phases as the seconds ticked away to the end of the game, Wales was unable to get close enough to the French posts to give Jones an attempt at a drop goal.
"It was always going to be tough after the sending off but we gave our all right up to the end," said prop Gethin Jenkins. "Just disappointed that we ended up the losing side."
Flanker Warburton was shown the red card in the 18th minute for a spear tackle on France winger Vincent Clerc, giving the French a huge advantage in their bid to reach a third World Cup final.
France made heavy weather of it but ultimately three penalties from the boot of flyhalf Morgan Parra and a huge defensive effort were enough to set up a final back at Eden Park next week against host New Zealand or Australia, who meet in the second semifinal today.
"It was a really tough game for us, and we are very happy to be in the World Cup final," said French captain Thierry Dusautoir.
"Today we won thanks to our defense. We defended well ... we played with our hearts."
Wales, which had lock Huw Richards sent off in its only previous semifinal against New Zealand in 1987, produced a herculean effort after Warburton's red card and scored the only try of the match in the 59th through scrumhalf Mike Phillips.
That reduced the contest to a one-point game, replacement flyhalf Stephen Jones grazing the post with the missed conversion that would have given the Welsh the lead.
Despite going through 25 phases as the seconds ticked away to the end of the game, Wales was unable to get close enough to the French posts to give Jones an attempt at a drop goal.
"It was always going to be tough after the sending off but we gave our all right up to the end," said prop Gethin Jenkins. "Just disappointed that we ended up the losing side."
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