Au revoir from Cardiffpublished at 17:54 BST 18 April
FT: Wales 7-38 France
Fraser Watson
BBC Sport Wales reporter
It was far from a carbon-copy of the Scotland defeat, but there's a sense of deja vu when summarising that Wales display.
There was a fast start, a well-constructed try from a rolling maul, and positives from the performance with the game in the balance at 7-7 half-time.
But in reality, although Wales withstood intense pressure in the opening 40 minutes, you won't win games against good sides when you're working on limited possession and not crossing the gain-line in the contact area.
International rugby is ruthless, and Sean Lynn will know his side cannot afford the sort of erratic kicking game they produced today if they are to compete against the likes of France.
As for the visitors, they've not been perfect in either of their opening wins but in terms of selection, it was another exciting glimpse into the future. Francois Ratier has young talent and powerful forwards at his disposal and they are building a team to be a force for years to come.
All in all, a small step forward for Wales, but the bottom line is it is now one win in 12 internationals and seven straight Six Nations defeats.
Onto next Saturday now, and the small matter of England away...









