France got their Women’s Six Nations defence off to an emphatic start as they toppled Wales 52-3 with a mammoth performance in Montpellier.
The reigning Grand Slam winners crossed the whitewash on nine occasions, hooker Caroline Thomas notching a standout hat-trick as France dominated from the driving maul.
France, who arrived on the scene in fine fettle after having toppled New Zealand in the Autumn Tests last year, were in clinical form, claiming a statement win and sending a clear message to the rest of the Championship.
After a battling opening five minutes, it was the reigning Grand Slam champions who made the first impression on the scoreboard.
A well-won lineout spawned a forceful driving maul, which wended it’s way purposefully towards the Wales line, Thomas claiming the credit for crashing over to give the hosts the lead.
The two sides traded penalties, Camille Imart making up for her earlier missed conversion for France before Robyn Wilkins got Wales on the board.
France stretched their advantage midway through the first half, the lineout again causing Wales problems, with Safi N’Diaye bursting over the line after sustained pressure from Les Bleues.
With the first 40 drawing to a close the French once more deployed their lineout, Thomas driving over for her second from five yards out at the back of a maul that wasn’t to be stopped.
And the hosts wrapped up the bonus point before half-time, Ian Jason making the initial break before Imart spotted Lea Murie free across the field, finding her with a perfectly weighted kick for France’s fourth.
In ruthless fashion, the hosts began the second-half the way they ended the first, breaking the length of the field with Romanne Menager starting the move before she was first on the scene to collect Pauline Bourdon’s offload and crash over.
And Menager showed her class with the ball in hand when she grabbed her second, brushing off four tacklers to take the ball all the way from the Wales ten yard line.
The hosts brought up 40 points with the hour mark approaching as Thomas sealed an unlikely hattrick from a predictable source.
Another driving maul from the lineout saw the hooker do what she had done so effectively throughout, capping a memorable performance in the process.
And just when Wales looked as though they were about to grab their first score of the contest, Wilkins saw a pass on the France line intercepted, substitute Doriane Constanty gleefully carrying the whole length of the pitch to score, before Murie crossed for her second, and France’s last.
