Another Wales humiliation, another record for the Dragonhood to pile on to their recent mass of rancid ignominy.
And perhaps the most humbling aspect of this eight-try destruction was that Steve Tandy’s men actually played much better than in the previous weekend’s stuffing in Twickenham. That is where Wales happen to be at the moment.
And the fact that this was the lowest attendance (57,744) ever for a Six Nations at the Principality Stadium was desperate. Utterly desperate.
Yes, the French were exhilarating and exuberant and all those other adjectives that make the Six Nations favourites so “ex”-rated to the opposition.
And considering the Antoine Dupont-inspired visitors – of which his half-back, Matthieu Jalibert, maybe enjoying his best performance in the blue shirt – were 19-0 ahead after only 15 minutes, it was something of an achievement for Wales to limit the damage of the ensuing 65 minutes to 35-14.
Indeed, the scoreline might not even have reflected the improvement in the Welsh from the insipid dross they delivered in the 48-7 annihilation against England eight days before.
Their defence was better, their set-piece was in a different class and at last, after two games of not even scoring a point in the first half of their last two Tests, they gave the Welsh public something to cheer on before they went off to get their leek bovril.
But still, they lost by 42 points and this was their worst defeat in Cardiff against France. Furthermore, it was their 13th Six Nations defeat in succession and their 21st loss in 23 games in the the championship since winning the title in 2021.
Regardless of whatever signs of promise the red-shirted faithful carried out into the wet Welsh air on Sunday evening, this must now be regarded as one of the most dramatically quick downfalls in the history of any sport.
A third wooden spoon beckons and with the Welsh Rugby Union overseeing something approaching a civil war in the domestic game, it is all the governing body deserves. It is a shocking mess.
More to follow...
Scoring sequence 0-5 Gailleton try, 0-7 Ramos con; 0-12 Bielle-Biarrey try; 0-17 Brau-Boirie try, 0-19 Ramos con; 5-19 Carre try, 7-19 Edwards con; 7-24 Jalibert try, 7-26 Ramos con; 7-31 Marchand try, 7-33 Lopez con; 7-38 Attissogbe try, 7-40 Ramos con; 7-45 Attissogbe try, 7-47 Ramos con; 7-52 Ollivon try, 7-54 Ramos con; 12-54 Grady try.
French defence coach Shaun Edwards to BBC Sport
On his side’s scintillating performance:
They’re very good to watch, certainly if you pay to watch them you’re getting your money’s worth.
I’m the defence coach, they’re probably a bit more like me when I was a player, loved to attack. My job is to remind them you have to defend well in vital moments, and I was very pleased with that today.
On Matthieu Jalibert:
Roman [Ntamack] has had an injury and we wish him well in his recovery, but Matthieu has come in and been outstanding in attack and defence, hopefully we can keep that competition going between them.
On the thinking behind Charles Ollivon’s move to second row:
Mobility, Charles in the 2nd row, Mickaël Guillard has played back row. Mobility as well as the power. Sometimes there’s a bit of give [and take]. Selection has been very good for mobility.
On France’s Grand Slam prospects:
We know we’ve got a huge game coming up vs Italy, who were magnificent against Ireland and beat Scotland. That’s the next job, we’ll be bang at it.
Welsh head coach Steve Tandy to BBC Sport:
I definitely feel like that we didn’t throw many punches last week, but our discipline was much better, set piece excellent, and we had a few moments.
Ultimately we’re really disappointed with the last few moments of first half. 19-7 would’ve been a transitional moment for us.
It’s a part of the journey we’re on, but there’s more to see from that performance today.
France, the athletes they have 1-23, if you kicked a little bit too far, an offload, knock on they were incredible. You have to tip your hat.
For us, we’re transitioning. We’re not where we want to be, especially on scoreboard, but we’re building.
On not having a full-time defence coach:
We’ve been looking at a defence coach, mid-season it’s hard to get things in and I wanted to see what’s around us, by summer we’ll have an option there.
On the lack of ticket sales:
It’s our job to get support here. Our supporters are amazing, the general public have been amazing, understanding. You see the effort out there as a young group, it’s not on the scoreline but they do love the community and nation, and the support makes a difference.
Dewi Lake post-match
Speaks well for a man undeservedly at the front and centre of this mess.
Was this a step forward:
Guess so. We were a lot better than last week, but there’s still massive work ons. When we did create, we were largely inaccurate. We can be more positive than last week but there’s still a a lot of improvement.
Its always a privilege to put the jersey on, that will never change, but the morale comes from the scoreboard. We were disappointed last week and we can probably be a bit more positive. But we got broken on kick chase.
They’re a world class team, best in the world at what they do, but we need to be better.
On the lowest attendance at a Six Nations game in Cardiff (57,744):
It’s our job to make people want to watch games. We’re a side that at the minute are not getting results. All we can ask is people stick with us, come on the journey as we are growing. It’s our job to excite people and make them want to watch.
Hear from France:
Emilien Gailleton, who was born in Croydon! Strange London twang in his accent:
Very pleased we had the win and bonus point in the first half. We were happy to attack, we’re very pleased. More games to go, the job’s not finished.
All this year long we’ve seen [Matthieu Jalibert] in the Top 14, outstanding performance, special kicker, happy to play with him.
Matthieu Jalibert, as translated by Gailleton:
Really pleased to play with such talented players. The forwards made a big effort, gave us space.
Scratching for the positives
Not too far from what we expected, then. Perhaps most worryingly for Wales is that their set piece was actually quite good, demonstrated by a scrum penalty and lineout before the try. But set piece is usually the easy get out to excuse poor performance - if that goes well, what didn’t instead? It’s a platform to build off, at least.
There’s only so much you can do about a France team attacking like that though, the offloading and speed of ball to width was irresistible at times. Not many teams capable of playing like that, or indeed defending it.
Full-time: Wales 12 France 54
France go long from the kick off and Hardy slices his clearance giving France one last attack, but the game ends with Bielle-Biarrey stepping into touch.
Try Wales!
Wales go to the corner and their attack is promising, getting within a couple before Kieran Hardy gets slotted, and Taine Plumtree gets held up.
We go back to the advantage and they tuck it up the jumper, earn another advantage and Mason Grady scores out wide, fed selflessly by Rees-Zammit. Well workedfrom a good set piece platform.
75 mins: Wales 7 France 54
Bra-Boirie crashes up for 10m off the scrum, he’s been very impressive. They kick long and Wales knock it on in their return. That spells danger for Wales but as Ramos bursts up the left his pass to Bielle-Biarrey is forward. Welsh ball, and they win a penalty at the scrum!
73 mins: Wales 7 France 54
Hardy is on now and quick taps from just outside the 22 and it’s dangerous for France. He gives it to Hawkins but his offload goes to ground.
They keep the ball for a few more phases but a fatigued Wainwright drops it.
70 mins: Wales 7 France 54
Nearly a hattrick for Attissogbe, a Ramos grubber a bit too close to the touchline to score.
Wales have a chance to counter but every time they look to go wide they seem half a yard slower, both in speed of foot and ball, than France. They’re turned over again and another France grubber is just about kept away from the tryline.
68 mins: Wales 7 France 54
Eddie James intercepts with a France overlap left waiting, but once again his team are not matching his efforts. Their ball is slow, and Gailleton effects the turnover.
Kieran Hardy only played 30 seconds vs England last week, yet to appear today, but Williams looks tired.
That’s Gailleton’s last involvement, replaced by debutant Noah Nene who looks a bit of a specimen.
66 mins: Wales 7 France 54
France clear and Wales attack in the midfield, Eddie James running a nice line before Taine Plumtree knocks on. Ramos hacks clear and Wales are are in their 22.
64 mins: Wales 7 France 54
Just misery for Wales now. The France support is in full voice but Wales make some headway, Eddie James carrying particularly well. On his third involvement he carries within a metre and Josh Adams tries to dot down but somehow knocks it on. France will feed the scrum in coffin corner.
Try France! Immediate follow up
Off comes Dupont, replaced by Baptiste Serin, one of the most underrated players in the world. He immediately dances through for a linebreak from a dummy kick and France work through the phases.
Eventually they get within pick and go distance and Charles Ollivon, who provided Serin with the support, flops over. His Six Nations try scoring record is ridiculous, continued even at second row. 19 tries in 50 caps.
7-54. Record score on the cards.
Try France!
Rinse and repeat from the second try.
Maul stymied and Jalibert goes to Attissogbe cross field. Rees-Zammit is far too narrow and the right winger even lets the ball bounce before dotting down for his brace.
57 mins: Wales 7 France 40
French subs have brought some serious physicality and a sequence of huge hits leads to the counter ruck turnover. Ramos dinks one over to Attissogbe who can’t keep his toes from the whitewash, so we go back to a penalty.
5m lineout.
55 mins: Wales 7 France 40
Dafydd Jenkins is caught offside being slow to retreat and France go to the corner, but Brau-Boirie knocks on from the crash ball. Wales attempt to play out and the newly-introduced Meafou turns it over but the referee is sympathetic in going back for a long knock on advantage.
An attacking scrum for France turned into a penalty as Gailleton tackles from the floor - he’d just made one and then made another. Don’t like that rule, should reward double efforts like that. Wales can clear and somehow their ambition from depth is rewarded.
Welsh gallows humour
Funny moment in the press box. The huge screen in the Principality Stadium showed Sir Gareth Edwards in the grandstand shaking his head. A French voice shouted: ‘Dupont is better than you’. It was followed by the response of a wizened Welsh scribe. ‘That is as maybe,’ he said. “But you must remember Sir Gareth is 80 next year.” Gallows humour is all the Welsh have left.
52 mins: Wales 7 France 40
On comes the French bench. All six forwards on with a couple of Welsh forwards on as well.
Try France! Wingers combine from 70m out
Attisogbe scores after Bielle-Biarrey coasts into Welsh half. He’s done well to keep up with his counterpart.
All three of the back three involved, exemplifying their USPs. Ramos has loose ball to clear up and does so with abundant composure, offloading over the top for Bielle-Biarrey. The left-winger flies clear and links up witb Attissogbe, who runs Ashton-esque support lines, for the try.
49 mins: Wales 7 France 33
Six minutes of rugby and Wales have gone from a hard-earned 12 point deficit to 26 points.
Wales work some offloads for themselves and Francis storms over on the front foot. Wales finally get quick ball to Wainwright in a wide channel but his lack of support is a tidy illustration of the difference between the two sides. They eventually knock on and France hoof clear, Mee doing well to clear up.
Try France!
France flex their maul muscles and Marchand comes up with a modest smile. 50th cap celebrated in style.
Left to right fade from the conversion on the touchline and France lead 33-7.
43 mins: Wales 7 France 26
France go wide again off the lineout and Ramos, Bielle-Biarrey and Gailleton combine to fly into the Welsh half. They make their way into the 22 before Wales concede the penalty. Jalibert pins the kick within 7m.
42 mins: Wales 7 France 26
Jalibert has so much time on the ball. Wales turn over but recycle it slowly and kick long. Jalibert takes his time and then banana kicks it down the middle, finding grass and forcing Wales to kick out.
Second half start: Wales 7 France 26
France kick off and Wales clear, Williams keeping it in play.
Last try really frustrating
The pundits are really grappling at straws here, this has been better than the 28-0 deficit they had against France at half-time last year, they say.
Suppose that’s where we’re at with Wales nowadays. Can’t overstate how frustrating that last try was, an intercept or Ellis Mee aerial take (he’s made plenty) was all it would have taken to make this a one score game. Not saying that would’ve resulted in anything but France are absolutely not playing the percentages so who knows?
France have been making those low percentage plays look anything but that, of course. Long may it continue, it’s brilliant to watch.
Second half about to start.
‘Better from Wales’
Wales would have taken being 19-7 down at the break. But that Adam Beard howler has dispirited this place to the point of resignation. It has been better from Wales, though. And with the scoreboard reading 7-26 that speaks volume about Wales are. Still, they have ‘drawn’ the last 26 minutes.
Some stats
Just the 21 offloads and 19 clean breaks from France so far, resulting in 533m over the gainline. They’re obviously on a different plain to Wales, and with that considered Wales have genuinely done well to stem the flow of tries, especially after the flurry of three tries in the first 15 minutes.
I’m sure if France were a touch more pragmatic in the 22 they’d have more reward but you live by the sword etc. The tries they have scored have been scintillating.
Half-time: Wales 7 France 26
Both sides opting to play on as the clock goes red but Wales floundering under the obligation to play through the phases. France win the penalty after 12 phases.
Jalibert decides enough is enough. Half time and Wales were probably deserving of a 7-19 deficit. 7-26 instead though.
Try France! A gift for Jalibert!
Adam Beard with a bit of a brain fade...
Wales had really steadied themselves and in another instance of this they win a turnover at the ruck on half way. Second row Adam Beard comes away with it and inexplicably opts to kick. It’s blocked at point blank range and the ball sits up perfectly for Jalibert to coast in unopposed. So frustrating after a 25 minute period of real defiance.
38 mins: Wales 7 France 19
Back come France after Wales keep their kick in play. Wales defend well so Jalibert goes to the air but Attissogbe wins it back...
37 mins: Wales 7 France 19
France kick assuming the advantage was still on but it’s not, and Rees-Zammit hoovers up before Williams exits. I personally like not playing the advantage for too long but James Doleman should’ve made that a bit clearer.
France manufacture an opportunity for Dupont to have a run at the Welsh defence from the lineout and he dances through before offloading to Brau-Boirie. The ball is knocked on though and Wales get the ball out of a back-pedalling scrum.
35 mins: Wales 7 France 19
Lineout infringement so France attack with penalty advantage...
34 mins: Wales 7 France 19
Free kick Wales and Rees-Zammit is given a run but Brau-Boirie lassoos him.
Ball is retained but after a couple phases Thomas Francis enters a ruck illegally and France will attack from 45m out.
33 mins: Wales 7 France 19
Wales go to the air quickly again and France look to have the scraps but Marchand was in an accidentally offside position. Midfield scrum for Wales. Rees-Zammit’s been quiet.
Try disallowed: Wales 7 France 19
Wales had kicked off first phase and Bielle-Biarrey juggled his claim under pressure before offloading to Dupont. He bursts round the outside and steps himself, but his offload leads to more ground. From the ruck, 10m out, he dinks over but Attisogbe was well in front of him.
Try France!
Attissogbe finishes off some lovely heads up rugby!
It came from a dink from Dupont but we’re checking whether the winger was offside.
29 mins: Wales 7 France 19
Wales kicking on first and second phase and Mee in particular making it work in the air. Frustratingly Tomos Williams hoofs it cross field after a slow subsequent phase and Bielle-Biarrey catches before hoofing back into the Welsh half.
27 mins: Wales 7 France 19
This French attack is flowing - offloads and distribution from forwards and backs alike. Brau-Boirie has been brought in as a big 12 but his feet are slick. Has to be said that Wales are scrambling very well even if France are making their way round the outside with ease.
That’s exemplified again as composed offloading in scrappy situations allows for a linebreak and Dupont looks to be away before Tomos Williams tracks back to tackle. They turn it over and Louis Rees-Zammit is almost away but is hauled down. This game is chaos, Wales playing their part at present.
25 mins: Wales 7 France 19
France go wide first phase and Louis Bielle-Biarrey is once again in space. His pass to Attissogbe is poor and Wales go quick from the lineout.
23 mins: Wales 7 France 19
Some normality as Wales win the scrum and Tomos Williams hoofs into the stands. France lineout on half way.
22 mins: Wales 7 France 19
So frustrating... Wales knock on the restart and Francis catches it in an offside position so France attack again as Dupont goes quick.
Great tackle though by Eddie James in an outside channel on Ramos, who knocks on. Wales will feed the scrum.
Try Wales! Carre pulls one back
Here we go then! Ellis Mee claims the kick off and is hauled down a few metres short. France offside twice in their scramble defence and Wales will go for the tap play.
Lake remembers to tap it today, and Carre, all 131kg of him, crashes over.
It’s amazing what a try can do! Atmosphere has lifted dramatically here after Wales hit back following that increasingly familiar 0-19 opening. Ellis Mee has been fantastic these last 15 minutes.
Try France! Relentless
Fabien Brau-Boirie with a debut try!
Devestating from France. Bielle-Biarrey dances round Dewi Lake and France look to the right wing next phase. Jalibert is sitting out back of the pods in the midfield and flying round the outside channels with ease. This time he offloads inside to Brau-Boirie and France have a third in 15 minutes.
13 mins: Wales 0 France 12
France look like they’ll score every time they go wide, this time Ollivon and Jalibert combining before Bielle-Biarrey makes mince meat of Wainwright’s ankles. His pass inside to Ramos is dropped and Wales have the feed.
Try Louis Biell-Biarrey!
The man is inevitable! 23rd try in his 24th test, and they don’t get much simpler.
France saunter into the corner and the maul is repelled at great expense. Ball is drawn back to Jalibert and his crossfield is on the money, Bielle-Biarrey catching it over the tryline before dotting down.
Conversion sliced wide. 12-0 France.
10 mins: Wales 0 France 7
Wales seemed to be defending well again but Thomas Ramos fizzes a long pass wide and it’s immediately shifted to Jalibert, who gets outside his man to release Fabien Brau-Boirie on debut. Attissogbe has it and his feet are so quick. He’s held up but Wales dragged him 5m over their own line, penalty not releasing.
9 mins: Wales 0 France 7
Well defended, Wales. After that initial Dupont surge Wales get set and Jalibert goes for a dink which Mee claims before being tackled into touch. Still a good outcome for the visitors.
8 mins: Wales 0 France 7
Wales hold firm but Dupont links with Jalibert to burst into the Welsh 22 before France push them back 10.
France roll over the gainline, however, with ease to get back onto the front foot.
7 mins: Wales 0 France 7
Dan Edwards goes long after Wales get stuck on half way again but it always looks too long, and we’ll come back for the scrum in a central position.
5 mins: Wales 0 France 7
Ellis Mee wins the ball back in the air vs Bielle-Biarrey, after the latter won one in the lead up to the try.
They’re playing some phases here but are struggling to get past the half-way so Dan Edwards goes to the air.
Try France! 88 seconds on the clock!
Émilien Gailleton scores with his first touch!
Sumptuous no-look offload by none other than Dupont to Attissogbe who dances though defenders before releasing Ollivon. He executes the two-on-one for Gailleton to score. They were queuing up.
1 min: Wales 0 France 0
Wales kick off deep, and France clear immediately through Dupont.
Kick off imminent
Bold play to go Acapella given all the talk about ticket sales but Cardiff in fine voice for Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau. Two great anthems, lots of travelling French support.
Poor scoring record at home
Wales’s most obvious challenge is to score points - any sort of points - in the first half. They have failed to trouble the scoreboard operators in their last tests. Wales were 28-0 down here at half-time in their 73-0 execution against South Africa in November - and 29-0 to the bad in their 48-7 in Twickenham last weekend. Surely, they must offer this crowd some sort of hope.
Kick off in 5 mins
Teams are out, anthems and kick off imminent. Regardless of attendance the Principality nows how to set the scene.
The top tier resembles that of a Barbarians game, though.
Ticket sale fears justified so far
Welsh board member John Manders to BBC Sport:
Welsh rugby’s full of passioin, we all want it to do right thing. If I could bottle passion from fans we wouldn’t have to do anything, it’s key.
We’re working really hard on a plan, a mandate to change, because we have to change things. As a board we’ve only been together for two years, there’s been huge change in our governance, financial structure. We’ve secured good funding in our pathways, the model’s changed.
If the fans stick with us, we’ll get through this together. We understand the problems we’ve got and we’re working hard to improve them.
‘Never seen Cardiff so flat’
Never seen the streets of Cardiff so flat before a Six Nations - apart from the renditions of ‘Alez Les France’ of course. Expecting there to be 10,000 empty seats. However, the roof is shut and the a Capella anthem will make goosebumps rise.
The Welsh can only pray they will not be soon be replaced by stress rashes.
Wales head coach Steve Tandy:
Reaction to last week’s 48-7 defeat:
It was really open and honest, the boys were bitterly disappointed. A lot of what happen was self-inflicted, credit to England but we were masters of our own downfall.
Looking ahead to France:
We have to understand the gulf, where we’re both at. We need to build our game, focus on and implement what we can achieve.
His side’s discipline:
It’s been a focus for us every week. From the autumn we’ve had referees in to help, especially with the offside. The way the game is refereed, you want the space. We’ve got to have a massive focus, the needless penalties were a large part of defeat at Twickenham.
I had Welsh rugby sorted out in six months – this lot are incompetent
Just so much to be said about Wales’s situation, but who better to provide some insight than David Moffett. He was the WRU CEO between 2002 and 2005, arriving with the organisation registering a loss of £3.7m and leaving having made a profit of £3.6m. He was the man responsible for setting up the five regions: Cardiff Blues, Scarlets, Ospreys, Dragons and the promptly disbanded Celtic Warriors.
Charles Richardson spoke to him this week:
“Let’s face it, the WRU hierarchy could not organise a p--- up in a brewery,” Doncaster-born Moffett tells Telegraph Sport. “They are incredibly incompetent. They sit there as the entire infrastructure is crumbling and falling apart. They don’t seem to have any idea how to fix it. I know they have no idea how to fix it. Yet, they are still there.
“I’ve got a lot of answers. I never criticise without offering solutions. I’ve laid out a full 10-page rescue plan on LinkedIn. I presented a manifesto in 2014. The WRU will have nothing to do with me. The reason for that is that I would make them confront their inadequacies and their incompetencies.
The full, must-read feature is here: I had Welsh rugby sorted out in six months – this lot are incompetent.
Shaun Edwards pre-match:
On avoiding complacency:
We have to play to our standards and potential, we have to judge ourselves harshly in everything we’ve done. We know we played well vs Ireland but we want to improve.
I’m sure better times are coming for Wales, let’s hope it happens tomorrow, not today.
On debutant Fabien Brau-Boirie:
He’s some player, very big, very strong but can also avoid contact v well. The two centres have played together at Pau, so hopefully they can play well today.
Anything can happen in the Six Nations, but surely not this?
Although it surely didn’t need affirming, yesterday was a fantastic reminder that anything can happen in the Six Nations. An England team, brimming with confidence and harnessing more belief from their fanbase than they have this decade, beaten thoroughly and comprehensively by Scotland at Murrayfield... for the fourth time in five games there. Finn Russell pulling the strings, Jamie Ritchie everywhere, Huw Jones and Ben White on the scoresheet; while it was no doubt a surprise, there was a retrospective feeling that everyone should’ve seen that coming.
That said, there is an unshakeable feeling of certainty for today’s match between Wales and France. If Wales were to win, and anyone says they predicted it, tell them they’re full of it or ask them for the lottery numbers. The hosts haven’t beaten a tier one nation since they beat a tumultuous Australia in the 2023 World Cup, and haven’t beaten France since the 2019 World Cup quarter-final. Only Josh Adams, Tomos Williams, Thomas Francis and Aaron Wainwright survive from that win. The bookies have Wales at 40/1, France at 1/25, surely their worst odds in a Six Nations game ever.
This week’s fresh epicentre in the ever-growing crisis in Welsh rugby is ticket sales, as was hinted at during their miserable Autumn. It was reported that they have offered stewards free tickets in an attempt to fill the stands. Whatever the week’s problem is, Wales are at their lowest ebb, unable to run a “p--- up in a brewery” according to their former CEO David Moffett.
Conversely, France are flying. Despite winning last year’s championship, three (expected) defeats to New Zealand last Summer and defeat to South Africa in the Autumn prompted a bit of pressure on head coach Fabien Galthié. That was silenced emphatically by their 36-14 victory over Ireland last week, the scoreboard non-reflective of their dominance.
Their squad has an average age of 26, not much lower than Wales’s but their experienced players are world class and their youngsters have the world at their feet. Much was said about Galthié‘s decision to drop the likes of Gregory Alldritt, Gael Fickou and Damian Penaud for the tournament but Theo Attissogbe on the wing looks to be a revelation and their back row depth is unparalleled in the tournament. The one question may be over their centre partnership, Fabien Brau-Boirie and Emielien Gailleton the new men in after injuries to Yoram Moefana and Nicolas Depoortere - Fickou not required.
Even still, it’s doubtful that will have any meaningful impact. Let’s hope Wales can invalidate this entire preview and provide a challenge. Their fans need it.
Stay tuned for build up, team news and live coverage!