Bonventre inspires visitors to a devastating level of performance

ROBERT COLE

Wales A 13 France A 34

France overwhelmed Wales with a marvellous performance in the A international at Rodney Parade yesterday. The visitors turned on the style to run in four tries and dominated the game from first to last, racing 10 points clear after just six minutes.

Wales were outplayed in every aspect and were left thankful that they had a sympathetic referee in Alan Lewis.

The French were slicker and more polished in everything they did, winning the cleaner possession and mauling with devastating effect. In second row Laurent Bonventre - a dead ringer for Oliver Merle - they had the man of the match, and he was superbly supported by the flanker Christophe Moni and Laurent Mazas at outside-half.

First-half tries from Yann Delaigue, Thierry Labrousse and Stephane Venditti as good as ended it is a contest with David Berty adding another with the last move of the match.

Wales managed just a penalty try, awarded for the French persistently not retreating at a tapped penalty, and a conversion and two penalty goals from Shaun Connor.

Wales A: Try Penalty try; Conversion Connor; Penalties Connor 2. France A: Tries Delaigue, Labrousse, Venditti, Berty; Conversions Mazas 4; Penalties Mazas 2.

WALES A: R Jones (Neath); S Hill (Cardiff), M Taylor (Swansea), J Funnell (Neath), G Evans (Llanelli); S Connor (Abertillery), P John (Pontypridd, capt); A Lewis (Cardiff), B Williams (Neath), S John (Llanelli), M Voyle (Newport), P Arnold (Swansea), A Gibbs (Newbridge), M Workman (Newport), V Davies (Cardiff).

FRANCE A: S Venditti; M Marfaing, C Paille, Y Delaigue, D Berty; L Mazas, P Carbonneau; C Soulette, O Azam, J-L Jordana, H Miorin, L Bonventre, C Moni, T Labrousse, L Loppy.

Referee: A Lewis (Ireland).