WALES v FRANCE CLASSICS

1948 – February 21. WALES 3 FRANCE 11 (at St Helen’s, Swansea).
This was the first-ever win by France in Wales and it proved to be a battle both on and off the field, as the crowd rioted with bottles and fruit being thrown at the French players.
It was a big French pack and Robert Soro and Albert Moga were massive men at lock with skipper Guy Basquet behind them. Soro, in particular, will be rembered and both he and try-scoring wing Michel Pomathios have returned in recent years on seperate visits to St Helen’s. Pomathios became the first French player to represent the Barbarians when he appeared at Cardiff on Easter Saturday 1952 to the delight of the Arms Park crowd.
Centre Maurice Terrau took an interception to score and then another for a Pomathios try, as Wales, led by scrum half Haydn Tanner, disappointed. Forward Ossie Williams kicked his only goal for Wales, though lock Bill Tamplin was the regular kicker.
Wales included five Cardiff backs and five forwards, but used fly half Billy Cleaver as a centre and centre Jackie Matthews as a wing.
Scorers.
Wales – Pen: Ossie Williams.
France – Tries: Guy Basquet, Maurice Terrau, Michel Pomathios. Con: Andre Alvarez.

1955 – March 26. FRANCE 11 WALES 16 (at Stade Colombes, Paris).
Wales played superbly to prevent France winning the championship outright for the first time. Pack-leader Rees Stephens was outstanding and after first-choice flankers Clem Thomas and Len Davies withdrew, stand-ins Brian Sparkes and new cap Derek Williams played well enough to ensure Wales shared the championship.
Centre Alun Thomas swerved over in the first half and the second half try by Cardiff wing Haydn Morris was an even better effort. Thomas was served by Cliff Morgan and ran down the right wing, kicking high to the centre, where Morris leapt like a gazelle to catch and dive over.
Full back Garfield Owen, who later played for Halifax at Rugby League and still lives there, placed two conversions and two penalty goals in his usual neat style.
It was the first all-ticket match in Paris and a record crowd of 62,000 were present in sunny conditions. It was to be the final championsip appearances by scrum half Rex Willis and French skipper Jean Prat, nicknamed ‘Monsieur Rugby’ by his Lourdes clubmates.
Scorers.
France – Try: Robert Baulon. Con: Michel Vannier. Pen: Vannier. DG: Maurice Prat.
Wales – Tries: Alun Thomas, Haydn Morris. Cons: Garfield Owen 2. Pens: Owen 2.

1966 – March 13. WALES 9 FRANCE 8 (at the Arms Park, Cardiff).
One of the most outstanding individual efforts ever seen at Cardiff Arms Park won this match for Wales, just as France, leading 8-6, appeared sure to score again.
They attacked on the North Stand side at the Westgate Street end with Jean Gachassin throwing a long pass towards wing Christian Darrouy. At this point the great opportunist Stuart Watkins streaked in, intercepting the pass and setting off towards the Taff End of the ground some 75 yards away.
On halfway, full back Claude Lacaze came to him, but the tall, gangling Newport winger pushed him offand strode on anver the French line.
The drama was not over however, as lock Bill Morris was penalised for throwing the ball into touch and Lacaze took the penalty only to see the ball blown down by the strong wind. Nevertheless he kicked hard at it and just when it seemed sure of going over, another huge gust took it wide of an upright.
Wales had therefore retained the championship for the first time in 57 years. They had delayed the naming of the pack until match-day, when it was discovered that lock Brian Thomas and prop Denzil Williams had been dropped and replaced by Bill Morris and Howard Norris, while No 8 Alun Pask was the Welsh captain.
Scorers.
Wales – Try: Stuart Watkins. Pens: Keith Bradshaw 2.
France – Tries: Bernard Duprat, Jean-Joseph Rupert. Con: Claude Lacaze.

1971 – March 27. FRANCE 5 WALES 9 (at Stade Colombes, Paris).
Wales, led by centre John Dawes, followed the Triple Crown by the gaining of the Grand Slam, the latter being the first one since 1952.
It was the first win by Wales in Paris for 14 years, but the French team did not make it easy. In fact, the home side took the lead with a try by their great forward Benoit Dauga and a further Dauga charge saw Barry John attempt to stop him and suffer a bloodied nose, which put him temporarily off the pitch.
France looked set to score again as right wing Roger Bougarel threw the ball inside, but full back JPR Williams nipped in to catch it ten yards from his own goalline. Away he stormed on a 70-yard run, before going inwards to draw the cover and find scrum half Gareth Edwards racing up on the left wing outside him and he dived over in the corner.
John’s conversion attempt missed, but he placed a penalty early in the second spell to put Wales in front and then he prodiced a gem of a try as he took an Edwards pass on the blind-side to glid past the French defence, after hooker Jeff Young had taken the heel against the head.
It was tense and exciting, and a good French team made Wales work all the way to success.
Scorers.
France – Try: Benoit Dauga. Con: Pierre Villepreux.
Wales – Tries: Gareth Edwards, Barry John. Pen: Barry John.

1975 – January 18.  FRANCE 10 WALES 25 (at Parc des Princes, Paris).
Six new caps took the field for Wales, including Pontypool props ‘Charlie’ Faulkner and Graham Price, who joined Bobby Windsor in the infamous front row.
Price was remarkably young for a prop at 23 years of age, but Faulkner, a judo black-belt, kept his age a mystery though he was reputed to be ‘around 34’. Out went Phil Bennett, cruelly dropped, and in came Aberavon fly half John Bevan.
Centre Steve Fenwick opened his international career with a try after Gareth Edwards had missed with a drop-kick and tries by Terry Cobner and Gerald Davies took Wales to 17-7 at the interval.
Edwards produced one of his specials in the second half after which came the try that sealed one of the best wins by Wales for many years.
France were attacking when the ball fell loose and was hacked upfield. With the speedy JJ Williams, the favourite to score, the ball fell clear to Price, who had run some 75 yards backing up. He fell, as much from exhaustion as from scoring, and registered an astonishing fifth try for Wales.
It was a great win and a fine start for the new captain, Mervyn Davies. Wales were not to win again in Paris until 1999.
Scorers.
France –  Try: Jean-Francois Gourdon. Pens: Michel Taffary 2.
Wales – Tries: Steve Fenwick, Terry Cobner, Gerald Davies, Gareth Edwards, Graham Price.
Con: Fenwick. Pen: Fenwick.

1978 – March 18.  WALES 16 FRANCE 7 (at the Arms Park, Cardiff).
It was learned after this match that both skipper Phil Bennett and his partner Gareth Edwards had decided to retire from international rugby.
Both had played splendidly, as they had done on the vast majority of occasions when they appeared for their country. It was hard to think of better players in their positions throughout the history of Welsh, and indeed world, rugby.
Bennett led Wales to their 15th championship and eighth Grand Slam. Personally, he took his aggregate points to 16 – a new best for Northern Hemisphere players, ahead of the 158 scored by Ireland’s Tommy Kiernan.
Wales coach John Dawes said: “This team deserve to be recognised as one of the greatest of all time.”
France led 7-0 after a try by flanker Jean-Claude Skrela when Wales opened their account as Bennett side-stepped the cover for a corner try that he also converted.
Gareth Edwards dropped a goal and then, two minutes from the interval, Wales truck again. Edwards gave out to JJ Williams, who lobbed the ball inside as he was pushed out of play. Bennett was backing up and with a little leap he was over for his second try.
The only score of a tight second half was a drop goal by centre Steve Fenwick in the dying moments.
Scorers.
Wales –  Tries: Phil Bennett 2. Con: Bennett. DG’s: Gareth Edwards, Steve Fenwick.
France – Try: Jean-Claude Skrela. DG: Bernard Vivies.