U19 EUROPEAN CUP: POOL A - ROUND 3

A blistering second half performance which saw them post 30 points, enabled tournament favourites France to reach the final against a combative Welsh side. The enthusiastic home crowd had to wait until the twentieth minute for the deadlock to be broken between two evenly matched outfits who struggled for supremacy; hooker Kane Bentley landing a penalty for the French.

An excellent move saw winger Adrien Maurel claim the opening touchdown in the corner soon after and just before the break Christopher Herold scored between the posts, Mickael Simon converting to make it 12-0 at half time.

Maurel's second touchdown two minutes into the second period opened the floodgates, with the faster French posting four touchdowns - through man of the match Bentley, Vincent Duport, Nicolas Delgal and the first of Frederic Vaccari's brace - in barely eight minutes. Consolation for the hard working Welsh came with winger Adam King's score on the hour.

FRANCE
Cédric Barnagaud, Adrien Maurel, Nicolas De Martini, Christopher Herold, Frédéric Vaccari, Nicolas Delgal, Aurélien Besset, Ismaël Khattabi, Kane Bentley, Mohammed Jamil, Vincent Duport, Florian Quintilla, Jean-Philippe Baile (capt.). Subs: Mickaël Simon, Michael Tribillac, Jacques Rives, Julien Espugna

WALES
Neil Gadd, Adam Dawe, Owen Lewis, Lee Williams, Adam King, Oliver Hughes, Garyn Lucas, Pat Howell, Tom Burnell, Matt Barron, Rhys Andrews, Billy Lavis, Barrie Philips. Subs: Gareth Moore, James Davies, Chris Vitalini, Nick Griffiths