France produced a dominant eight-try display to crush Wales 54-12 in Cardiff, maintaining their pursuit of a Six Nations Grand Slam. The visitors were in complete control from the start, scoring within the first 90 seconds through Émilien Gailleton, and never looked back.
The young French backline, all aged 23 or under, ran riot. Gailleton and Fabien Brau-Boirie both crossed in the opening 15 minutes, while Théo Attissogbe scored twice in the second half. Louis Bielle-Biarrey also added a try, showing the depth of talent in French rugby. Fly-half Matthieu Jalibert orchestrated the attack with a try and several assists.
Wales briefly rallied with first-half tries from Rhys Carré and Mason Grady, but the deficit was already insurmountable. Captain Dewi Lake acknowledged the quality of the opposition: “France are a team at the very top of the world. They scored some world-class tries today.”
This was Wales’s sixth successive Test conceding over 50 points, a worrying trend for the home side. However, they showed improvement in discipline after last week’s red card against England, finishing the match with 15 players.
France now head to Lille to face Italy next week, the only team still capable of a Grand Slam. The victory also showcased the next generation, with debutant Noah Nene joining the centres alongside Brau-Boirie, both impressing in a rampant performance.
