France, March 18 -- France brushed past Wales 41-28 on Saturday to maintain their chance of retaining their Six Nations title. Fabien Galthie's men, who won all five of their encounters in 2022, must hope England - on whom they inflicted their heaviest home defeat - beat Ireland in Dublin on Saturday evening

Wales, recovering from the threat of a players' strike and the adapting to the new regime of Warren Gatland, started brightly at the Stade de France.

Their early pep and pressure brought them the opening try when George North ran through a gap just in front of the posts. Dan Biggar added the transformation.

But the lead lasted only three minutes.

Inevitably, France's dynamic duo of Romain Ntamack and Antoine Dupont were involved. ...