Player ratings: A captain’s display from Charles Ollivon

Following their 32-30 victory over Wales in their Six Nations match in Paris on Saturday, here are the player ratings for France.

15 Brice Dulin: A mixed bag from the full-back, who surprisingly struggled under the high ball, but he was a threat on the counter-attack and was crucial in the latter stages, scoring the winning try. 7

14 Teddy Thomas: Was ineffective with the ball and also did some pretty daft things which handed Wales the momentum. Another of the back three to falter against the Welsh kicking game. 5

13 Virimi Vakatawa: Followed on from last week’s good showing with another fine effort. Didn’t make the eye-catching break but continually got over the gain line and was vital in the comeback late on. 7

12 Gael Fickou: A top performance from the centre, who is a key player in that backline. Carried hard and was solid in defence as France kept their championship hopes alive. 8

11 Damian Penaud: One break aside, Penaud did very little as he struggled to make an impact, with the Welsh managing to keep the dangerous Clermont man quiet. 6

10 Matthieu Jalibert: Once again, the fly-half produced some lovely touches and managed to find holes in the opposition rearguard. However, went off after half-an-hour and France seemed to suffer as a result. 7

9 Antoine Dupont: Scored a try, showed his usual class around the fringes and with ball in hand, but there was a lack of control at times. Still impressive but not as dominant as usual. 7

A game that will live long in the memory 🔥

Here's the highlights from @FranceRugby's incredible win over @WelshRugbyUnion in Paris. #GuinnessSixNations pic.twitter.com/DmxhjaUu0x

— Guinness Men's Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) March 21, 2021

8 Gregory Alldritt: Another wonderful effort from the La Rochelle number eight. Carrying, tackling and slowing the ball down at the breakdown, he is one of the best in the world. 8

7 Charles Ollivon (c): When they needed him most, the captain stood up to the challenge. It was a very good performance throughout from Ollivon but it was during the final 10 minutes when he particularly shone. Outstanding effort which arguably rescued their Six Nations. 9

6 Dylan Cretin: Struggled to really impact the game. Anthony Jelonch was far more effective when he came on. 5

5 Paul Willemse: An excellent performance which was rather sullied by his sending off. Willemse was physical, abrasive and dominant in close quarters, but stupidly made contact with the eye area of prop Wyn Jones to receive his marching orders. 7

4 Romain Taofifenua: Scored a try but went off injured early in the match and, like against England, France missed his physicality when he wasn’t there. 7

3 Mohamed Haouas: Was solid enough in the set-piece and offered a bigger threat in the loose but there were some silly mistakes. 6

2 Julien Marchand: Was once again busy with ball in hand and had a much better day at the lineout. Isn’t as powerful as Camille Chat but does everything, from set-piece to carrying, extremely well. 7

1 Cyril Baille: Another fine display from the Toulouse loosehead, albeit not quite as effective as the previous week. Baille is, however, quickly becoming one of the best props in Europe. 7

Replacements: Romain Ntamack is still feeling his way back after injury, but the other players generally had the desired impact. Jean-Baptiste Gros, Uini Atonio, Jelonch and Arthur Vincent were all excellent, particularly in the latter stages. 7