Wales ground out a 16-9 win over World Cup finalists France before an ecstatic capacity crowd at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday to complete a third Six Nations championship grand slam in eight seasons.
Flanker Dan Lydiate was named man-of-the-match thanks to a series of thunderous tackles on a treacherous surface which was soaked shortly before kick-off after France had asked for the roof to be kept open.
A typically ferocious Lydiate tackle on France captain Thierry Dusautoir midway through the first half forced a turnover which led to Alex Cuthbert scoring the only try of the match.
Cuthbert cut back inside from the right wing after the ball had been swiftly recycled for a converted try which gave Wales a seven-point advantage.
"It's a very young team and this was their first chance to win anything. To do it at home in the last match in the Six Nations, what could be better?," Lydiate said. "The crowd were our 16th man."
France, who defeated Wales by a point in their World Cup semi-final in New Zealand last year after Welsh captain Sam Warburton had been sent off, and Gethin Jenkins was pleased to turn the tables of France in Cardiff.
"We knew they were going to be good, they've played well all championship," he said. "The World Cup brought us tighter and losing to France spurred us on to get some revenge."
France relied on fly half Lionel Beauxis's kicking from hand in the first half.
They showed marginally more ambition after the break, reducing the deficit to four points seven minutes from time with a penalty from scrum-half Dimitri Yachvili.
Wales and their supporters were showing clear signs of nerves before fullback Leigh Halfpenny spun through a frantically back-pedalling French defence.
Replacement Francois Trinh-Duc, playing out of position on the wing, deliberately threw the ball away as he was forced into touch and Halfpenny converted a simple penalty with only two minutes remaining. Wales lost Warburton to a shoulder injury at half time but his replacement Ryan Jones proved at least as influential to demonstrate the strength in depth of the Welsh squad.
"It's something we will treasure for years to come," Jones, the former Wales captain, said. "For nine weeks the guys have been superb, I take my hat off to everyone, everyone has contributed."
Matthew Rees won his 50th cap against the French, having fought back from a calf injury to play his part in the campaign.
"I've worked so hard to get back," he said. "My second Grand Slam, 50th cap, I think I'll be doing some partying tonight.
"It was frustrating for me with the calf injury, for me it was just about getting myself back fit and being part of a successful team.
"We're still a young side, there's plenty still to achieve and we're looking forward to the World Cup in 2015."
Cuthbert added: "I thought we deserved it more than France. The feeling I'm feeling now I don't think I'll ever feel again."
Other results:
England 30-9 Ireland
Italy 13-6 Scotland
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
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The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
The%20specs
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The specs: 2018 Ducati SuperSport S
Price, base / as tested: Dh74,900 / Dh85,900
Engine: 937cc
Transmission: Six-speed gearbox
Power: 110hp @ 9,000rpm
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Fernando Gaviria (COL)
Sebastian Molano (COL)
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Diego Ulissi (ITAS)
The specs
Price: From Dh529,000
Engine: 5-litre V8
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Power: 520hp
Torque: 625Nm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.8L/100km
Start-up hopes to end Japan's love affair with cash
Across most of Asia, people pay for taxi rides, restaurant meals and merchandise with smartphone-readable barcodes — except in Japan, where cash still rules. Now, as the country’s biggest web companies race to dominate the payments market, one Tokyo-based startup says it has a fighting chance to win with its QR app.
Origami had a head start when it introduced a QR-code payment service in late 2015 and has since signed up fast-food chain KFC, Tokyo’s largest cab company Nihon Kotsu and convenience store operator Lawson. The company raised $66 million in September to expand nationwide and plans to more than double its staff of about 100 employees, says founder Yoshiki Yasui.
Origami is betting that stores, which until now relied on direct mail and email newsletters, will pay for the ability to reach customers on their smartphones. For example, a hair salon using Origami’s payment app would be able to send a message to past customers with a coupon for their next haircut.
Quick Response codes, the dotted squares that can be read by smartphone cameras, were invented in the 1990s by a unit of Toyota Motor to track automotive parts. But when the Japanese pioneered digital payments almost two decades ago with contactless cards for train fares, they chose the so-called near-field communications technology. The high cost of rolling out NFC payments, convenient ATMs and a culture where lost wallets are often returned have all been cited as reasons why cash remains king in the archipelago. In China, however, QR codes dominate.
Cashless payments, which includes credit cards, accounted for just 20 per cent of total consumer spending in Japan during 2016, compared with 60 per cent in China and 89 per cent in South Korea, according to a report by the Bank of Japan.
Company%20Profile
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SPEC SHEET
Display: 10.4-inch IPS LCD, 400 nits, toughened glass
CPU: Unisoc T610; Mali G52 GPU
Memory: 4GB
Storage: 64GB, up to 512GB microSD
Camera: 8MP rear, 5MP front
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C, 3.5mm audio
Battery: 8200mAh, up to 10 hours video
Platform: Android 11
Audio: Stereo speakers, 2 mics
Durability: IP52
Biometrics: Face unlock
Price: Dh849
MATCH INFO
Liverpool 2 (Van Dijk 18', 24')
Brighton 1 (Dunk 79')
Red card: Alisson (Liverpool)