It was not for want of Welsh effort, because they moved might and main to break the French, and looked as if they might do so after a try by tight-head Dillon Lewis seven minutes into the second half saw them claw their way back into contention, with Dan Biggar's conversion leaving them only one point adrift at 17-16.
However, France had the coolest kid on the block in young fly-half Romain Ntamack and, as a resurgent Wales attacked again in the 51st minute, with Nick Tompkins making a half break and Justin Tipuric in the clear outside him, he stole the show.
It is said that fortune favours the brave, and Ntamack trusted in his poacher's instinct to anticipate the Tompkins pass, and, after juggling the ball, tucked it under his arm before using his deceptive speed to race the 65 metres for an intercept try that tilted the match decisively in France's favour.
It was a classic 14 point moment because if Ntamack had got his read wrong it was almost certain that Wales would have scored to take the lead for the first time. Instead, it helped France to their first win in Cardiff since 2010, when they also went on to win their last Grand Slam.
This young French team's ability to emulate that feat no longer looks like a long shot with two matches to play, starting with a visit to Edinburgh, and, if they negotiate that hurdle successfully, the prospect of a Grand Slam if they can beat Ireland in Paris.
It looks attainable because in Ntamack the French have found a fly-half who has composure as well as a creative streak, and also because of the infectious energy that the new French brains trust of head coach Fabien Galthie, defence coach Shaun Edwards, and manager Raphael Ibanez, have generated in this new French squad.
This story is from the February 23, 2020 edition of The Rugby Paper.
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This story is from the February 23, 2020 edition of The Rugby Paper.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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