Wales endured another nightmare against France on Sunday in Cardiff. Outclassed by a far superior French side, the Welsh were beaten 12 to 54. This defeat must now serve as a turning point, a chance to regroup, learn lessons and build new momentum. The Welsh must convince themselves that a new tournament begins now, against far more manageable opponents than England and France, starting with Scotland next Saturday.

Standing in a circle, united and determined, the men in red made France wait for several seconds before kick off on Sunday, as Matthieu Jalibert stood ready with the ball in hand. The Welsh displayed the image of a tight knit team, true to the values of their nation. Despite their determination and their desire to prove they are more than a former rugby powerhouse, the Dragons were quickly overwhelmed by the pace and talent of the French XV. Les Bleus were ruthless from the outset and already led 19 to 0 after just 15 minutes. At that point, fears of an 80 point humiliation were not unrealistic.

“I thought we stayed in the fight a little bit longer,” regretted Louis Rees Zammit after the match. In the absence of Jac Morgan, sidelined for several months with a shoulder injury, the Welsh star appeared too isolated to carry his team and was unable to make a difference against a highly effective French defence. Despite a very difficult first half, Wales did manage to find a breakthrough through the power of their forwards, reducing the deficit with a try from Rhys Carré in the nineteenth minute, making it 19 to 7.

Throughout the match, Wales searched desperately for solutions that might serve them later in the tournament. This heavy home defeat could yet become the foundation for a future victory in the Six Nations. After conceding three early tries, fly half Dan Edwards attempted to disrupt France with an endless series of high kicks and long clearances, hoping to unsettle the visitors’ relentless rhythm. However, the French were dominant under the high ball and consistently won the aerial exchanges.

Moreover, deploying Louis Rees Zammit at full back does not necessarily strengthen Wales in that department. Although originally trained as a winger and one of the most electrifying players in world rugby, his kicking game remains limited, particularly when compared to specialists such as Thomas Ramos or Matthieu Jalibert. Nevertheless, France showed some inaccuracy near the try line and only managed to score again in the thirty ninth minute through Jalibert.

After the break, France’s quality truly shone. Jalibert continued to deliver perfectly weighted passes to his wingers, while Wales struggled defensively. Four tries followed in quick succession in the forty fourth, forty ninth, fifty eighth and sixty first minutes. Many Welsh supporters began to leave the Principality Stadium. The iconic venue recorded its lowest Six Nations attendance since 2002, with 57,000 spectators, and large sections of the crowd were filled with French fans.

Welsh rugby must rely on its supporters to emerge from this crisis, especially as the Welsh Rugby Union has announced that, for the first time, the national team will play a match at the Cardiff City Stadium, which has a capacity of 35,000, to increase the chances of a sell out. The decision was taken after acknowledging that the Principality Stadium is currently too large for the expected attendance.

In a subdued stadium and after enduring a true tidal wave, Wales eventually regained some defensive solidity following numerous substitutions. France also eased their intensity after the hour mark. Yet the Welsh never gave up and continued to fight until the final whistle. They will need the same resilience against Scotland next Saturday if they hope to win. Their perseverance was finally rewarded when Mason Grady crossed the line in the seventy eighth minute after an excellent team move, salvaging some pride and making the score 12 to 54.

“I think we were a lot better than last week”

After the final whistle and their lap of honour, the Welsh players had only one focus, next week’s clash with Scotland. It represents their first real opportunity for victory against an opponent far more attainable than France or England. “I think we were a lot better than last week. When we did create we were largely inaccurate in the final third, but I do think there were more positives than last week. The scoreline is what it is,” said Dewi Lake, who delivered a solid performance. There are genuine reasons for optimism ahead of next week if this team continues to progress.

Although Scotland claimed an impressive 31 to 20 victory over England at Murrayfield on Saturday, they appear vulnerable. They lost to Italy the previous week and struggled heavily in the second half against a fourteen man England side. The power of the Welsh forwards could trouble Scotland, while their back line may need reshuffling due to injuries to Jamie Ritchie and Jack Dempsey. If Wales rise to the occasion this time and reignite the Principality Stadium, they could secure their first Six Nations victory in three years, an eternity for a nation accustomed to competing at the highest level.

Léo Billard

Picture : Léo Billard / Sport W