France needed 20 minutes of injury time to beat Wales 20-18 in an astonishing end to their final Six Nations game.
Leigh Halfpenny's faultless goalkicking put Wales 18-13 up and seemingly on course for a sixth straight win against the French. But France somehow found a way through the Welsh, who conceded penalty after penalty in added time.
With the atmosphere bordering on hysterical at Stade de France, replacement loose forward Damien Chouly finally found enough of a gap to squeeze through and Camille Lopez landed the conversion, and sank to his knees with desperate relief.
It was cruel on the Welsh but just reward for the sort of never-say-die persistency that France has been correctly accused of lacking in the past. France seemed to be throwing away the win again after center Remi Lamerat's converted try and Lopez's penalty made it 10-0 after 16 minutes.
It was an agonizing wait for the final whistle, as the French camped on the Welsh line and the crowd roared "Poussez! Poussez!" (Push! Push!).
Scrum after scrum, the red Welsh wall somehow held under intense pressure.
The French even swapped out a prop, bringing in Rabah Slimani to seek an edge.
Behemoth Louis Picamoles was thwarted just before the line, then winger Noa Nakaitaci almost got through a gap but was stopped just short after beating two players. Another charge from France, and the Welsh almost buckled. Prop Samson Lee was sin-binned.
The roar from the crowd became a guttural battle cry, and Chouly's tying score set off scenes of pandemonium among home fans and sheer despair for the Welsh.
- AP
