Super Wales seal Grand Slam

Wales provided a fitting end to their outstanding Six Nations campaign as they completed the Grand Slam at the Millennium Stadium with a 29-12 victory over France.

Having dominated the early stages, Warren Gatland's side overcame a sticky period midway through the match, and the sin-binning of Gavin Henson, to emerge worthy winners.

The match turned on the hour by virtue of an opportunist try from Shane Williams who, in the process, became his country's leading try scorer.

With the French within seven points heading into the final ten minutes there were still plenty of nerves amongst the majority of those in the capacity crowd at Cardiff, but a Stephen Jones penalty seven minutes from time all but ended French hopes.

A memorable evening was then capped in style by a late try from the outstanding Martyn Williams who ensured Gatland would celebrate the Grand Slam in his first Six Nations championship at the helm of Welsh rugby.

The capacity crowd at the Millennium Stadium created a pulsating atmosphere before kick-off and it clearly inspired the hosts who made much the faster start.

Indeed, Wales' sense and of purpose and confidence was illustrated in the first minute by full-back Lee Byrne who attempted an audacious drop-goal from inside his own half, although the effort fell some way short.

James Hook provided further evidence of his array of skills with a superb flicked pass from the floor which helped to release Mark Jones down the right touchline, but presented with a real opportunity, the Llanelli winger opted to neither pass inside or kick ahead and was eventually hauled down as France regrouped.

Wales did take some points from the attack with France penalised for being on the wrong side and Hook kicked his side 3-0 ahead.

Disjointed

Struggling to get a foothold in the game, a disjointed start from the visitors was summed up by a woeful restart from the nervy-looking David Skrela who somehow managed to send his drop-out backwards and into touch.

Hook missed the chance to extend his side's lead as he missed a second penalty on the quarter hour, but just a couple of minutes later the French were caught offside again and this time the Ospreys star did bisect the posts.

Almost immediately Martyn Williams was penalised for not releasing the ball on the ground after a scrappy passage of play just outside the Wales 22 and Jean-Baptiste Elissalde reduced the deficit to 6-3.

However, Les Bleus were still struggling to retain possession and deal with a Welsh pack who were almost eight kilograms heavier a man and another error, this time from flanker Idrissa Ouedraogo, handed Hook a chance to re-establish the six-point lead which he duly took with his third successful kick.

But as the half progressed, and still within touch despite something of an early battering, French belief and cohesion began to grow with Wales looking like a team increasingly aware of and inhibited by the huge prize for which they were playing.

It was certainly the French who headed in at the interval with the momentum with Elissalde having kicked a second penalty to make the scoreline 9-6 and Gavin Henson sitting in the sin-bin for a high hit on Ouedraogo.

But French adventure almost cost them two minutes into the second period as Vincent Clerc attempted to run from inside his own 22 following a kick from Shane Williams with a penalty the inevitable result after the winger had been wrapped up.

Hook spurned the opportunity to increase the lead as he missed his second kick of the evening and it looked costly as Elissalde levelled the match five minutes later with his third successful penalty.

Hook made way for Jones with 25 minutes left and with the match very much in the balance it appeared possible that the visitors could prove Grand Slam party poopers of the highest order.

Turning point

But Shane Williams rode to the rescue on the hour to swing the course of the contest decisively in Wales' favour as he seized on a spilled pass from Yannick Jauzion to kick ahead, outsprint full-back Anthony Floch and touch down under the posts.

Jones added the extras and shortly afterwards extended the lead to 19-9 as France were penalised for not rolling away in the tackle.

Substitute Dmitri Yachvili brought his side back to within seven points with ten minutes still on the clock with a well-struck penalty, but the hosts were not to be denied and lingering nerves were all but dispelled as Jones landed an excellent long-range penalty of his own.

With celebrations already tentatively underway, Martyn Williams got the party in full swing as he broke from the base of a ruck, slipped through a tackle and coasted over under the posts.

The score was due reward for Mark Jones who had deserved a try for a sensational length of the field burst, but although the winger was hauled down on the French line, man-of-the-match Williams delivered the coup de grace moments later.