French fullback Yoann Huget can't hide his emotions after his team's loss (Photo: Francois Nel - World Rugby via Getty Images)
Wales have become the third team into the Rugby World Cup semi finals, beating France 20-19 in a thriller tonight in Oita.
However, the match was marred by a second half red card to French lock Sebastian Vahaamahina, meaning France had to play the the last half an hour with 14 men. That’s not where the controversy ended though, with the match winning try by Ross Moriarty coming off a very suspect play in the dying minutes.
It seemed as though France were on course for an upset as well, after they played their best rugby in years in the first half. Vahaamahina scored the opener after a powerful French surge into the Welsh 22 shocked Warren Gatland’s men.
Only three minutes later, Gael Fickou cut through the line on halfway to set up flanker Charles Ollivon to score under the posts and make the score 12-0.
Wainwright then swung the momentum back the Welsh way after Guilhem Guirado dropped the ball on halfway. The flanker scooped and run away to touch down under the posts for Dan Biggar to convert.
The game settled down after that initial flurry, with Bigger adding a penalty in the 20th minute. Moriarty was lucky to escape a red card for a marginal high shot, which raised a few question marks over the consistency of officiating in the knockout stages.
Winger Virimi Vakatawa then pushed the French ahead before the break with a try to make the score 19-10.
Then Vahaamahina committed his moment of madness. In a drive, he inexplicably elbowed Wainwright hard in the jaw, leaving referee Jaco Peyper no option but to send him from the field. Even then, though, it was still France’s game to lose as the Welsh couldn’t crack the line.
They did finally force a scrum five metres out from the French line and put on a big shove that saw the ball squirt out the back. Moriarty was on hand to grab the scraps and score next to the posts, however the replays definitely suggested that the ball went forward off a Welsh hand.
The French still had time to force a kickable penalty or dropped goal attempt, but a series of poor decisions meant that the Welsh could escape with a lucky victory.
Wales now move on to play the winner of tonight’s second quarter final between the Springboks and Japan.
Wales 20 (A Wainwright, R Moriarty tries; D Biggar 2 pen, 2 con)
France 19 (S Vahaamahina, C Ollivon, V Vakatawa tries; R Ntamack 2 con)
HT: 19-10 France