LONG READ Wales search for positives as fans are pleaded to keep the faith

Eighty seven seconds. That’s all it took to puncture the feelgood factor of a Welsh crowd who had belted out an a cappella Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau with gusto and emptied their lungs.

Indeed, before the heat of the pre-match fire throwers had dissipated into the cold Cardiff air, a mesmeric round-the-back pass from Antoine Dupont set Theo Attisogbe haring towards the Welsh tryline. The ball was quickly transferred to Charles Ollivon, who in turn shipped the ball to Emilien Gailleton, who like a thoroughbred at the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, galloped clear of a Welsh defence that were left clasping at shadows.

Bienvenue à Cardiff and make yourself at home.

The refrain from most supporters was a muted, ‘here we go again’. After all, this is becoming the norm. Wales have shipped over 300 points in their last six Tests, five of which have been at home. If there was a mitigating factor, their last four games have come against the world’s Top 4 sides.

Politely clapping opposition brilliance is becoming a familiar feeling at a stadium where Wales haven’t won a Six Nations game since March 11, 2023. That’s over 1000 days. Despite Steve Tandy telling the assembled media that Wales were ‘making progress’ – and they were markedly better than the England no-show on the opening weekend – few fans could confidently say Wales were on the cusp of an upturn in their fortunes. They have fallen so far, so quickly, and no one knows where there a further depths to plumb.

This, remember, is a side which has enjoyed six Six Nations titles and four Grand Slams in 25 years. Their pedigree as a heritage Tier One side is assured, of course, but sides are lining up to break records as the once proud fortress of Welsh rugby has been metaphorically raised to the ground.

Of course, it’s off-the-field matters that are causing most angst. Welsh rugby has tied itself in knots and with the current excruciating impasse over how to reduce a region and stop the rot. The internecine rancour continues to look like self-harm and the rest of the rugby world can just watch, part in horror and part in sympathy at the unfurling of the game. Anger is not directed at players, but at the Welsh Rugby Union, as custodians of the game, who seem unable to fix a system not fit for purpose. As a rugby nation, Wales has become a cautionary tale.

Defensive steel has been imbued into France by Shaun Edwards and was perfect encapsulated by the zeal with which the gazelle-like Louis Bielle-Biarrey clattered into Josh Adams

On a squally Sunday afternoon, Cardiff, looked windswept and slightly down at heel, despite the colour of tens of thousands of French fans dress, some dressed as Gauls, attempting to lift spirits. Pre-game the home fans weren’t in the party mood. Inside the Principality, as the points racked up, they were drowned out by than 13,000 supporters in the stadium. It was hard to believe that France had won only once against Wales in a decade of torpor, between 2011 and 2020, as acrimony raged between the FFR and Top 14, before peace broke out. Sound familiar?

This 2026 vintage is a different beast. Defensive steel has been imbued into them by Shaun Edwards and was perfect encapsulated by the zeal with which the gazelle-like Louis Bielle-Biarrey clattered into Josh Adams on the flank early on. They are no longer soft touches when the mood doesn’t take.

Wales’ own vedette, Louis Rees-Zammit had a busy first half, dealing with aerial balls from Matthieu Jalibert, as he continued his education at full-back. You suspect he yearns for a platform enjoyed by the Bordeaux 10, Dupont and Bielle-Biarrey (LBB).

It’s not like Wales lacked effort. Ellis Mee did his level best to contain Bielle-Biarrey, whose distinctive red headguard resembles a lit Exocet as it pinballs around the pitch at speed.

While the set-piece held up, Wales were no match for a razor-sharp French side, and the second try was a cinch, with Jalibert, like a modern day quarter-back scanning options and rifling the ball 40m to Bielle-Biarrey to dot down, with less than 10 minutes gone. Even though Ramos fluffed the conversion, there was no regret when he swivelled round because he knew, even then, the result wasn’t in doubt.

Wales couldn’t really say they were beaten by experience, either with a fallow centre partnership in tandem. Gailleton, 22, played mentor to debutant Fabien Brau-Boirie, 20, who was next to power over on his debut, after Jalibert had found acres of space in the Welsh No 13 channel. Wales were 19-0 down after 16 mins and staring down a barrel of despair.

France, sadly for Wales, were in no mood for sympathy. They were chasing a Grand Chelem.

With pints being supped, there was a sombre feeling to the occasion for anyone clad in red, but Mee, who was one of Wales’ better performers, lifted bums off seats when he scurried down the right flank to set up some field position and, after repeated phases hammering away at the French try line, Rhys Carre barrelled over. For the next 17 minutes Wales traded blows equally, with Aaron Wainwright and Olly Cracknell to the fore in trying to bulldoze the French defensive line.

At 19-7, it looked like Wales could look to the sheds and regather after getting a foot in the match but a regrettable decision from Beard to try and nudge the ball through a gap with his size 15 boot, was gathered by Attisogbe, who slipped an inside ball to Jalibert to coast home. It left Wales with a 19-point deficit to make up at half-time. Steve Tandy couldn’t hide his anger as he cursed up in the stands.

France, sadly for Wales, were in no mood for sympathy. They were chasing a Grand Chelem.

Only three minutes into the second-half, French backs joined a driving maul and carried hookier Julien Marchand over to score from close distance. When Bielle-Biarrey picked out a Dan Edwards kick, he passed to Ramos, who returned the favour and saw the French No 11 haring down the left flank, before popping the ball inside to Attisogbe, who scored a brilliant try.

Wales were down 40-7 after just 50 minutes. To ram home their dominance, La Marseillaise rang out on 51 minutes as the French fans bounced up and down, as the benches on both sides were unloaded. Up in the Gods, in a hospitality box, Jac Morgan and Taulupe Faletau watched on with Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas – how Wales could have done with those pedigree British & Irish Lions.

With Jarrod Evans and Mason Grady entering the fray for Edwards and Mee, it wasn’t long before Attisogbe had a brace – after an earlier try was disallowed for offside – when Dupont flicked the ball out of a driving maul and Jalibert again, found the Pau man to dot down without competition. Minutes later Charles Ollivon burrowed over, after a quickfire break from Baptiste Serin, to leave Steve Tandy’s men 54-7 down after an hour. The Welsh crowd were stupefied at what they were witnessing.

With Dupont off to rest his weary limbs, the final quarter, on the scoreboard, at least, was won by Wales and they showed some calon

With Dupont off to rest his weary limbs, the final quarter, on the scoreboard, at least, was won by Wales. They showed some calon with carries from Louis Rees-Zammit and an increasingly influential Eddie James making inroads but fudged a score after Josh Adams knocked on, while crossing the try-line.

Thankfully with three minutes to go, some more pressure from Wales saw Rees-Zammit put Mason Grady away for a consolation score. By then, many of the lowest Six Nations crowd at the Principality Stadium (57,744) had disappeared into the night to drown their sorrows.

Dewi Lake spoke passionately post-game about the need for the fans to stick with Wales, and it is not lost on anyone that thousands of empty seats mean holes in the union’s coffers just when they need every penny.

Scottish fans will travel in good spirits to the Welsh capital next weekend with the Welsh coaching team trying to plug holes in a ship that feels like it’s taken on too much water. Patience is wearing thin and anger is being replaced with apathy. It is not a healthy mix.