Scott Johnson shows his disappointment at the final whistle

"I'm disappointed. The scoreboard doesn't reflect the effort once again," he said after the 21-16 defeat.

"We won the game everywhere except on the scoreboard. We had some firm position in the second half but we didn't take control of the game.

"Then we couldn't clear our line and hold field position for some time - and that cost us the match."

Wales led from the 25th minute until Florian Fritz's converted try in the 73rd minute which put France ahead for the first time at 18-16.

I think the fans can be happy with the performance. They could see that we gave everything Wales scrum-half Mike Phillips

Minutes earlier, Wales winger Shane Williams was denied a try when the video referee ruled that France fly-half Frederic Michalak had managed to ground the ball over his own tryline first.

Television replays suggested France were fortunate to get the benefit of the doubt, but Johnson said he had no complaints.

"Calls go either way and you have to accept it and get on with it," said Johnson, who is expected to take up a coaching position with Australia next week.

Report: Wales 16-21 France

"We probably should have won the game prior to that. There are 80 minutes and we had our chances but couldn't finish them off."

Scrum-half Mike Phillips caused the French defence plenty of problems with a string of incisive breaks.

And the 23-year-old said the team had salvaged some pride from a tough Six Nations campaign by taking the eventual champions all the way to the wire.

"We made plenty of breaks but didn't put points on the board," said Phillips, who was named man-of-the-match in his first Six Nations start.

We have lost two world-class number nines... and along comes another kid and I thought he did wonderfully Wales coach Scott Johnson on Mike Phillips

"We can learn from that and hopefully be better for it next year.

"But I think the fans can be happy with the performance. They could see that we gave everything. The forwards dominated and the backs were superb.

"We just didn't get the win, and that's the way it goes sometimes. But I'm gutted we didn't win at the end."

A typical break from Phillips in the dying stages almost led to Wales try, but he just lacked the pace to round France winger Aurelien Rougerie and the chance was lost.

Johnson, though, said he could not have asked for any more from his third-choice scrum-half.

He said: "We have lost two world-class number nines in Dwayne Peel and Gareth Cooper. Along comes another kid and I thought he did wonderfully.

"Not many countries can say they have three quality nines.

"He's had a lot of bench time but he's come along and played well. I'm pleased for the boy."