WALES 27
FRANCE 6
Tries in each half by centre George North and captain Sam Warburton gave Wales a record Six Nations victory over France and put their bid for an unprecedented title hat-trick firmly back on track.
Full-back Leigh Halfpenny kicked 17 points, and all France could muster were penalties from half-backs Jean-Marc Doussain and Jules Plisson as their Grand Slam hopes were destroyed.
Les Bleus also saw forwards Nicolas Mas and Louis Picamoles sinbinned during the second period as Wales bounced back emphatically from their heavy defeat to Ireland last time out.
Coach Warren Gatland got an immediate response as Wales stormed eight points clear inside six minutes through a Leigh Halfpenny penalty and a North try.
Halfpenny opened the scoring through a 48-metre strike, before Wales attacked from deep via Halfpenny and wing Liam Williams before North capitalised on defensive hesitancy between France fullback Brice Dulin and scrum-half Jean-Marc Doussain to pounce for the touchdown.
Halfpenny missed the conversion attempt, but he quickly made amends by landing another longrange penalty and Wales could reflect on a dream start, leading 11-0 after just nine minutes.
It was a breathless opening, but France needed to establish a foothold in the game, and they opened their account through a Doussain penalty.
Halfpenny responded with a three-pointer of his own, but after Doussain missed his next shot at goal, half-back partner Jules Plisson took over and cut the gap with a penalty to 14-6.
A fourth Halfpenny penalty soon restored Wales’ 11-point advantage, and France coach Philippe Saint- Andre will have been left infuriated by his team’s technical indiscipline as Halfpenny booted another threepointer just before the break.
Having earlier lost Nicolas Mas to the sin bin, France were soon back down to 14 men as number eight Louis Picamoles received a yellow card, and it was then that Wales struck.
Jamie Roberts made a telling midfield burst that scattered the French defence and skipper Sam Warburton stretched out to score a try that required confirmation from television match official Graham Hughes.
Halfpenny added the extras and Wales were home and dry, celebrating a record Six Nations win against France.