Wales held their nerve throughout the opening match of the European Curling Championships B-Division against France to come out 5-4 winners.

Wales began with hammer but could only score one, with France blanking the second before Wales forced them to take one of their own in the third. Four successive blank ends followed, but Wales remained in control with France on the defensive.

A crucial double take out from Rhys Phillips in the eighth end finally broke the deadlock for a score of three, although France were to hit back with three of their own in the ninth to level it up going into the final end. Wales had hammer once more, and skip James Pougher found his way through a wall of guards with the final stone of the game to lie one and take the win.