Dupont inspires France to devastating win over Wales

The Paris symphony orchestra are back in session.

- HARRY LATHAM-COYLE

Forced away from their suburban concert hall last year by the Olympics, on their Six Nations return to the Stade de France this fabulous French side gave the crowd a night to remember. Twelve months ago, in Marseille, they had played all the wrong notes in the wrong order to be badly beaten by Ireland; Wales may not be in the class of the two-time defending champions but this was a drastic improvement.

They have the capacity to play far better than they did in this 430 thrashing. It is their ability to blend a mighty percussion section with the softer strings that marks France out as tournament favourites, but the difference in this fixture, and perhaps to this tournament, was their masterful maestro of a conductor. The peerless Antoine Dupont, absent last year en route to securing Olympic gold, is back where he belongs.

If the Paris atmosphere was much missed last year, the scrum half’s absence as he chased sevens glory was a great travesty. Here was a performance that showed why his place as the best player on the planet is becoming beyond debate. France were not at all at their best in the first half yet exited it with a bonus point in the bag; four tries split evenly between the two wings yet conjured by their little genius, again making the ridiculous look routine.

Such was the security of the situation that Fabien Galthie could take off his captain with 30 minutes still to go, recognising that there are far sterner tests to come. Perhaps it might have been a good call to take off his half-back partner, too, Romain Ntamack’s late sending off taking the shine off a pleasing night for the France head coach. He seems all but certain to miss next week’s trip to Twickenham, and maybe more.