Defiant Jenkins

Gareth Jenkins looked like a man with the

pressures of life stripped from his mind as he

reflected on a Welsh performance that probably

saved his job.

As the midnight hour approached at the Stade

de France after Wales had been handed their

third straight defeat of the Six Nations

Championship, Jenkins looked his critics

straight in the eye and denied that he had felt

any pressure from the poison pens of the media.

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"I have never felt under any pressure," snapped

Jenkins, before paying tribute to a brave Wales

squad who had enabled a rugby nation to rediscover

their pride and purpose.

The beaten team produced a performance of

such magnitude that it must have been beyond

their coach’s wildest dreams after supervising

the recent abject display at Murrayfield.

Yes, Jenkins saw his team beaten for the third

time in the championship, with every chance

they could be taking the wooden

spoon if Italy produce the fireworks

that destroyed the Scots at Murrayfield

yesterday.

But this Welsh display was laced with

courage, pride and cohesion.

This was Jenkins’ ninth defeat in 11

matches, with victories over Canada

and the Pacific Islanders his only

comfort, but last night he spoke as if a

forward’s weight had been lifted off his

shoulders.

Jenkins said: "We scored three tries.

That was positive.We played very well

indeed but we had only 40 per cent

possession against the French and

must do better than that.

"We were very poor against the Scots,

but with the right training and new

faces,we are capable of playing well,as

we’ve shown here."

There would be no complacency in

Rome,he promised.‘Their physicality is

impressive but we have made a big

improvement in Paris, scored tries,and

I think they will find us very

competitive.

"My big regret against France was that

we were too generous with penalties

and we’re losing the possession game

at the moment."

Two tries by Alix Popham and Tom

Shanklin in three blistering minutes

midway through the first half gave

France the biggest fright of their

Championship season.

Ian Gough set up Popham by grabbing

lineout possession and the backrow

man burst down the blindside to

touchdown. Tony Spreadbury called

for video referee back-up but there

was little doubt that the try was

authentic.

Moments later Alun-Wyn Jones stole

lineout ball and James Hook shuffled

his hips to find space for Shanklin to

tear over the line. Stephen Jones made

it 14-3 with another improbable kick

that flew between the uprights as the

French, for once, looked shaken and

unsure.

But a try by Christophe Dominici,

converted by David Skrela, started the

procession that finally nailed the

impudent Welsh on the French soil

they have graced so impressively in

recent years.

Lionel Nallet gave France the lead

with a try fashioned by Jerome Thion,

Skrela and Dominici, followed by a

mighty forward push that saw the

Frenchman ground the ball.

Wales made a bright start to the

second half, with Stephen Jones offering

some sharp answers to the

questions asked by his critics, before

Skrela’s metronomic kicking enabled

France to build a healthy lead.

Welsh replacement Jamie Robinson

finished off good work by Martyn

Williams in the lineout but Wales were

punished for too many infringements

as Skrela ended the match with 19

points. French coach Bernard Laporte

paid tribute to the losing side, saying:

"Wales could have won this match. At

times they dominated the play. In

another match, they could have ended

with a victory.

"They played much better against us

than they did Scotland.They exploited

our mistakes but we got back into the

match without losing our heads and

deserved victory in the end."

Stephen Jones, the Welsh captain

whose future was in serious doubt

before the match, said: "We made a

great start to the game. But they

starved us of possession and it told in

the end. But I’m proud of the lads. We did well here."