France underlined their title credentials with a record 54–12 demolition of Wales on Sunday, becoming the only unbeaten side after two rounds of the Six Nations Championship.
Favored to defend their crown, France crossed for eight tries — the first arriving after just 88 seconds — eclipsing their previous best score against Wales, a 51–0 win at Wembley in 1998.
This was not brute force; it was breathtaking tempo. France played with sevens-style freedom, keeping the ball alive through offloads and sharp footwork, slicing Wales open with 28 line breaks. The relentless speed denied the hosts any chance to reset defensively.
The approach suited France’s youthful midfield pairing of Fabien Brau-Boirie and Émilien Gailleton, both Pau clubmates, who each scored. Gailleton later made way for another debutant, Noah Néné, as France’s next generation continued to impress. Flyhalf Matthieu Jalibert orchestrated the rout, scoring once and assisting three tries in a commanding display.
France were 19–0 up inside 15 minutes. Gailleton struck first after slick handling from Antoine Dupont, Théo Attissogbe and Charles Ollivon. Louis Bielle-Biarrey soon added another from Jalibert’s pinpoint kick-pass before Brau-Boirie finished a sweeping move sparked again by Bielle-Biarrey. By halftime, the bonus point was secured at 26–7.
Wales briefly responded through Rhys Carre and showed resolve, holding France scoreless for more than 20 minutes in the first half and again late in the contest. But the second half became a procession. Julien Marchand powered over from a maul, Attissogbe grabbed two, and Ollivon added another as Thomas Ramos converted seven of eight attempts.
The defeat stretched Wales’ Six Nations losing streak to 13 matches and continued a worrying trend of heavy home concessions. Despite late consolation from Mason Grady, the hosts were again outmatched.
English