SIX NATIONS - FRANCE v WALES
Venue: Stade de France Date: Friday, 27 February Kick-off: 2000 GMT
Coverage: Live coverage on BBC Two and online, full commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio Wales and online, live text commentary and score updates on BBC Sport website

Martyn Williams celebrates Wales' 2005 Six Nations win in the Stade de France

By Bruce Pope

Once upon a time in Paris there stood a stadium that was the stuff of nightmares for anyone involved with Welsh rugby.

France took up residence in the Parc de Princes in 1973. It was the predecessor to the city's Stade de France where Wales will go for a sixth time on Friday.

Wales' record at the two stadia could not be more different.

In 1973 France defeated Wales 12-3 in that season's Five Nations championship at Parc de Princes.

When Wales returned in 1975 to win 25-10 - a five-try romp with Steve Fenwick, Terry Cobner, Gerald Davies, Gareth Edwards and Graham Price all crossing - there was no sign of the horror to come.

But Wales would never enjoy success at the Parc des Princes again, like the Bastille - Paris' other famous fortress - a place that you only managed to storm once in a Les Bleus moon.

After 24 painful years of Welsh defeats in Paris, the 80,000 capacity Stade de France was completed in 1998, built for that year's football World Cup.

Wales arrived the following year to try out the new place, in a city where they had lost their previous 11 matches, having begun the 1999 championship with defeats to Scotland and Ireland.

Flanker Colin Charvis eased the traditional sense of impending doom with a sixth-minute try for the visitors, while fly-half Neil Jenkins was kicking superbly.

Yet also in fine form was France full-back Emile Ntamack, who would finish the match with a hat-trick of tries, and Les Bleus led 18-16 after 31 minutes.

Everyone expected normal service to be resumed, but tries from Craig Quinnell and Dafydd James took Wales into half-time as shock 28-18 leaders.

Colin Charvis sets Wales on their to their first Paris win for 24 years

Back came France after the break to tie the scores 28-28, Jenkins kicked a penalty to nose Wales ahead once more, only for Thomas Castaignede to score in the corner.

But crucially the Castres fly-half missed the touchline conversion and France's lead was just 33-31.

With five minutes remaining Wales forced a penalty and Jenkins held his nerve to strike his fifth goal, having also kicked two conversions.

Castaignede had one last chance to continue France's hegemony but failed with his last attempt.

Finally, after all those years, Wales had won in Paris.

A second consecutive victory in Paris followed in 2001, with Wales' half-backs topping and tailing a thrilling 43-35 win.

France took the lead when an interception allowed Sebastien Bonetti to go in under the posts.

Opposing fly-halves Gerald Merceron and Jenkins were both in good kicking form - Jenkins would pass 1000 Test points in this match - but France looked out of sight at 19-9.

Wales celebrate after holding off France 43-35 in 2001

Against the run of play Rob Howley produced a superb try just before half-time, the number nine racing almost 80 metres to touch down after Scott Quinnell's charge from the base of a scrum.

The Llanelli number eight then claimed a try of his own and was followed over the line by wing James.

France, of course, fought back and led 35-33 when Phillippe Bernat-Salles found space on the right, Christophe Lamaison adding the conversion and a penalty.

Ten minutes to go and Jenkins popped over a drop-goal to put Wales ahead, before charging down Bernat-Salles' kick to gather, score and seal back-to-back away wins.

After that two-game purple patch it seemed normal service had resumed in Paris, as Wales suffered a 33-5 hammering in 2003 that condemned them to a first Six Nations whitewash.

That feeling was reinforced in 2005 when Wales trailed 15-6 at the break to a rampant France side, who had scored first-half tries through Dimitri Yachvili and Aurelien Rougerie.

Wales needed some inspiration and it came in the form of flanker Martyn Williams, the open-side grabbing two tries in quick succession.

Martyn Williams sneaks his way to the France try-line in 2005

First 'Nugget' was in support to provide the coup de grace to a flowing Wales move, in which Stephen Jones and Rhys Williams were the chief architects.

Williams struck again as Wales assaulted the French line, his quick thinking allowing the open-side to tap a penalty and charge through Fabien Pelous to touch down.

A drop-goal from Frederic Michalak, replacing Yann Delaigue at fly-half, brought France level at 18-18.

But in a nervous, frantic, magnificent last period Jones stretched Wales away with a penalty and a drop-goal of his own.

Final score 24-18, a third win on French soil in four attempts, and the third step on the way to Wales' first Grand Slam in 27 years.

Wales lost 32-21 at the Stade de France in 2007 but return this year as defending champions, still on course for back-to-back Grand Slams, and in the unusual situation of being favourites.

Coach Warren Gatland has a settled side, few injury worries and has instilled levels of tactical awareness, fitness and confidence that are the envy of Wales' northern hemisphere rivals.

France coach Marc Lievremont, in contrast, has seen his side play well but lose in Ireland, and misfire but win at home to Scotland.

He has taken a major gamble for his starting XV against Wales by selecting centre Benoit Baby at fly-half.

606: DEBATE Looking at the French team, they are clearly going to attack us with ball in hand JB1973

Lievremont has also changed his scrum-half, Morgan Parra preferred to Sebastien Tillous-Borde, and opted to give a debut to Stade Francais centre Mathieu Bastareaud.

That leaves France without a starting front-line goal kicker in a fixture that has often been decided by the accuracy of the boot.

We will all wait to see 'which France team will turn up' on Friday night - the perennial tagline for those mercurial men from across the Channel.

But the odds favour Wales to claim a fourth win in six attempts at the Stade de France.

Roll out the red carpet Paris, the red shirts are back in town.

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