European Championship 1996

Game 1

France 14 lost to Wales 34

European Championship 1996
Game 1

France
14
34
Wales
Match Info
Match URL www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/14983
Status Completed
Date Wednesday, 5th June, 1996
Referee Russell Smith (Castleford)
Venue d'Albert Domec (Carcassonne)
Crowd 4,300
Match Stats
Halftime Score 10 16
Penalties 6 8
France Scoresheet Wales
Arnaud CERVELLO 2 T 3 Iestyn HARRIS
Gael TALLEC   Paul ATCHESON
      Gareth DAVIES
      Richard WEBSTER
 
Patrick TORREILLES G 5 Iestyn HARRIS
France Teams Wales
Frederic BANQUET
[Paris St Germain]
1 FB 1 Paul ATCHESON
[Oldham]
Arnaud CERVELLO
[Paris St Germain]
2 W 2 Gerald CORDLE
[Bradford]
Eric VERGNIOL
[Paris St Germain]
3 C 3 Gareth DAVIES
Jean-Marc GARCIA
[Sheffield]
4 C 4 Jason CRITCHLEY
[Keighley]
Pascal BOMATI
[Paris St Germain]
5 W 5 Anthony SULLIVAN
[St Helens]
 
Fabien DEVECCHI
[Paris St Germain]
6 FE 6 Iestyn HARRIS
[Warrington]
Patrick ENTAT (c)
[Paris St Germain]
7 HB 7 Ian WATSON
 
Hadji BOUDEBZA
[Paris St Germain]
8 FR 8 David YOUNG (c)
[Salford]
Patrick TORREILLES
[Paris St Germain]
9 HK 9 Keiron CUNNINGHAM
[St Helens]
Frederic TEIXIDO
[Paris St Germain]
10 FR 10 Mark JONES
[Warrington]
Didier CABESTANY
[Paris St Germain]
11 2R 11 Paul MORIARTY
[Halifax]
Gael TALLEC 12 2R 12 Rowland PHILLIPS
[Workington]
Pascal JAMPY
[Paris St Germain]
13 L 13 Mark PERRETT
[Halifax]
 
Laurent LUCCHESE
[Paris St Germain]
14 B 14 Jason LEE
Jerome BISSON 15 B 15 Richard WEBSTER
[Salford]
Laurent CAMBRES
[Paris St Germain]
16 B 16 Martin HALL
[Wigan]
Regis PASTRE-COURTINE
[Paris St Germain]
17 B 17 Chris MORLEY
[St Helens]
 
Ivan GRÉSÈQUE   HC   Clive GRIFFITHS
   
 

Team Info

France

Previous Game:
World Cup 1995 - Game 2 vs. Western Samoa
Next Game:
European Championship 1996 - Game 1 vs. England
Out:
Brian Coles (wing), Pierre Chamorin (centre), Pascal Mons (wing), Pascal Fages (five-eighth), Karl Jaavuo (front row), Cyril Baudouin (second row), Thierry Valero (lock), Marc Tisseyre (bench)
In:
Arnaud Cervello (wing), Eric Vergniol (centre), Pascal Bomati (wing), Fabien Devecchi (five-eighth), Gael Tallec (second row), Laurent Lucchese (bench), Jerome Bisson (bench), Laurent Cambres (bench), Regis Pastre-Courtine (bench)
Changes:
Frederic Teixido (bench to front row), Pascal Jampy (bench to lock)

Wales

Previous Game:
World Cup 1995 - Semi Final vs. England
Next Game:
European Championship 1996 - Game 1 vs. England
Out:
John Devereux (wing), Allan Bateman (centre), Scott Gibbs (centre), Jonathan Davies (five-eighth), Kevin Ellis (halfback), Kelvin Skerrett (front row), Scott Quinnell (second row), Richie Eyres (lock)
In:
Paul Atcheson (fullback), Gerald Cordle (wing), Gareth Davies (centre), Jason Critchley (centre), Ian Watson (halfback), Mark Perrett (lock), Jason Lee (bench), Richard Webster (bench), Chris Morley (bench)
Changes:
Iestyn Harris (fullback to five-eighth), Martin Hall (hooker to bench), Mark Jones (bench to front row), Keiron Cunningham (bench to hooker), Rowland Phillips (bench to second row)

Match Report

by DAVE HADFIELD

Wales made a successful start to the defence of their European Championship here last night, continuing their recent tradition of finding the necessary heroes, both likely and unlikely, when they need them.

The obvious star was Iestyn Harris, taking over Jonathan Davies' mantle as both stand-off and goal-kicker with all the aplomb now expected of this immensely talented 19-year-old.

Harris scored three brilliant tries, using his magical side-step to maximum effect, and also landed five goals, so could fairly claim to have been the difference between the two sides.

Less predictable was the impact made by his half-back partner, Ian Watson. Only the third-choice scrum-half at Salford, Watson, also 19, was called into the Welsh side on the eve of the match after Hull's Gareth Stephens injured an ankle in training. The maturity with which he took his chance suggests a healthy future at both club and international level.

After Arnaud Cervello had given France the lead, getting to a Patrick Entat kick that Gerald Cordle had failed to kill, Watson was involved in all three first-half tries that put Wales in command. He gave the ball to Harris for the first of his hat-trick, then it was his beautifully timed short pass to Jason Critchley that gave Paul Atcheson the chance to atone for an earlier squandered opportunity by scoring the second.

Despite the loss of their captain, David Young, with damaged ankle ligaments, Wales were getting their customary solid platform from a pack in which Mark Jones stood out.
Watson's shimmy through the French defence gave his Salford team-mate and Young's replacement, Richard Webster, a try before half time, even if it was quickly cancelled out by Wigan's Gael Tallec.

The tries that put the game beyond France's reach were pure Harris. His sleight of hand and foot left the French bemused and immobile for his second touchdown, and his hat-trick effort had something of the flavour of an exhibition about it. There was no way forward when he took the ball 10 yards out, so he went backwards on an arking run which eventually exploded into another jinking progress to the try-line.

Wales rounded off a convincing victory when Atcheson's pass sent in Gareth Davies, with Harris adding his fifth goal for a personal total of 22 points. Cervello grabbed his second at the death, but Wales had done enough to show that they will not give up their title without a fierce fight.

Source: WalesRL.co.uk

This match is a part of the following:

Contributions: Shawn Dollin, Andrew Ferguson