Wales v France

Thirty-two points separated two nations; France had barely laced their international boots two years prior.

On 2 March 1908, France travelled to Cardiff for their first ever match against Wales. The Welsh won 36–4, setting the tone for what would be decades of one-sided encounters. France had only been playing international rugby since 1906, and the gulf in experience was stark. Wales were in the midst of their first golden age, having won the Triple Crown six times between 1893 and 1911. France, by contrast, were learning on the job against the best in the world.

Eighteen wins from nineteen meetings; France managed to steal just one result before the whole affair was shut down in scandal.

The early years of this fixture belonged entirely to Wales. They won 18 of the first 19 encounters, with France managing just a single victory during this period. The matches were often lopsided, reflecting the broader gap between the established Home Nations and the developing French side. In 1931, France were expelled from the Five Nations Championship over allegations of professionalism and violent play. The fixture was suspended, and the two sides would not meet again in the championship until after the Second World War.

Sixteen years in the wilderness, then back to the table; France arrived in 1947 with a point to prove.

France were readmitted to the Five Nations in 1947, and the Wales v France fixture resumed. The post-war years saw France gradually close the gap, though Wales remained the stronger side through the 1950s. The fixture was now played annually as part of the championship calendar, giving it a regularity and rhythm it had previously lacked.

France's first Grand Slam in 1968 turned a formality into a fixture that could crown champions.

France won their first Grand Slam in 1968, beating Wales in the process. It marked a turning point in the rivalry. Through the 1960s and into the 1970s, France became genuine contenders, and the fixture evolved from a formality into a contest that could decide championships.

The 1970s were Welsh property; three Grand Slams in eight years settled the argument.

The 1970s belonged to Wales. Under players like Gareth Edwards, Barry John, JPR Williams, and Phil Bennett, Wales won Grand Slams in 1971, 1976, and 1978. The matches against France during this era were titanic encounters between two sides packed with world-class talent. France had their own legends in Serge Blanco, Jean-Pierre Rives, and Jacques Fouroux.

France dominated across three decades, claiming Grand Slams in 1981, 1987, and 1997, while Wales went without a championship title throughout.

As Wales' golden generation retired, France seized control of the fixture. Through the 1980s and 1990s, Les Bleus dominated, winning the majority of encounters. France claimed Grand Slams in 1981, 1987, and 1997, while Wales endured their longest period without a championship title.

A retractable roof turned Cardiff into a cauldron of 74,500 voices, just in time to greet the world in 1999.

The old Cardiff Arms Park gave way to the Millennium Stadium (now Principality Stadium) in 1999, providing a 74,500-seat home for Welsh rugby. The retractable roof transformed match days in Cardiff, creating an enclosed cauldron of noise that visiting teams, France included, found deeply uncomfortable. The stadium opened just in time for the 1999 Rugby World Cup.

Twenty-seven years of hurt, ended in Paris.

Under Mike Ruddock, Wales won their first Grand Slam since 1978, beating France 24–18 in Paris along the way. It was a watershed moment for Welsh rugby after decades in the wilderness. The victory in the Stade de France announced that Wales were back as a serious force, with players like Shane Williams, Gavin Henson, and Martyn Williams leading the charge.

France needed one win for the Grand Slam; Wales had other ideas, and Cardiff made sure of it.

In the 2012 Six Nations, France arrived in Cardiff on the final day needing a win for the Grand Slam. Wales, under Warren Gatland, had other ideas. A 16–9 victory gave Wales the title and denied France in front of a raucous Millennium Stadium crowd. It was the kind of result that defines this fixture: high stakes, tight margins, and an atmosphere that could strip paint.

Gatland's farewell gift: a third Grand Slam and a fifth clean sweep for Welsh rugby.

Warren Gatland's final Six Nations campaign as Wales head coach ended in a Grand Slam, with a 25–13 victory over France in Paris sealing the clean sweep. It was Wales' fifth Grand Slam in the Six Nations era and Gatland's third. The match underlined how evenly matched these two sides had become in the modern game, with the overall head-to-head record almost perfectly level.