France vs Wales: 1947-67

Back in the fold

France were readmitted to cross-channel rugby in 1939 when the Four Home Unions decreed that France was fit to return, and played some wartime internationals as did other countries. Thus, in 1947, France was there when the Five Nations resumed.

Not that France's re-entry was unconditional. At one stage the IRB decided that France should stop its championship, as being a hotbed of violence and professionalism. They may as well have told the French to stop drinking wine and eating cheese. Instead the French changed leadership and were allowed to stay, admitted to membership of the IRB only in 1978.

In the Fifties two Frenchmen stood up and made a vast difference to French rugby - Jean Prat, the Zinzan Brooke of his day, and the medical doctor, Lucien Mias - for during this period France became a world rugby power. There was not again any thought of debarring the French.

22 March 1947: The match was played at Stade Yves du Manoir, Colombes.

The President of France, Vincent Auriol, was present.

France did not come gently back into the Five Nations. They gave Wales a tough time, sometimes nastily so. Prop Cliff Davies, a miner known as the Bard of Kenfig, claimed that his little finger had been bitten to the bone.

Wales won 3-0, a penalty goal by lock Bill Tamplin just before half-time. The penalty was a long kick from just inside the French half. Wales had now beaten France 17 times out of 18, but for the first time it failed to score a try.

For the second time Wales dismissed a player when he was already on the train and heading for France. Lock George Parsons was told to go back to Wales because there were rumours that he was defecting to rugby league. He said he was innocent but back he went. He never added to his one cap in 1947 and went off to league ten months later. Stan Williams replaced him for this match.

21 February 1948: The match was played at St Helen's Ground, Swansea.

For the very first time, in arctic conditions, France beat Wales in Wales - 11-3, three tries to none.

There was a crowd disturbance and the spectators hurled objects at the French. The particular targets were the locks Alban Moga, whose nickname was Bamby, and Robert Soro who became known as the Lion of Swansea. The trouble was not solely French-aimed. There was a problem of forged tickets and many of the crowd, deprived of seats, took it out on the players, and the French were the easiest targets. One spectator came onto the field to have angry conversation with a Frenchman and was flung off the field by big Bill Tamplin. 

At the end of the match they carried wing Michel Pomathios off the field. He was one of France's try-scorers.

Pomathios was the first French player to become a Barbarian.

26 Match 1949: The match was played at Stade Yves du Manoir, Colombes.

President Vincent Auriol was again present.

Wales led 3-0 at half-time but in the second half wing Jean Lassègue, the French Buffalo, scored a try, plunging over three defenders to score in the corner. André Alvarez converted from touch, and France won 5-3. They deserved their victory.

The great Haydn Tanner played his last match for Wales. His first had been as an 18-year-old in 1935! In all that time he won 25 caps, 12 of them as captain. (Jonny Wilkinson also made his debut at 18. It took him just two years and nine months to get to 25 caps.) Tanner was one of rugby's greatest scrumhalves.

25 March 1950: The match was played at Cardiff Arms Park.

The match started in sadness.

On Sunday 12 March, The Star Girl, a British Avro Tudor V aircraft, was flying back from Dublin to Llandow airfield with 78 happy Welsh rugby supporters abroad, full of good cheer after beating Ireland. In attempting to land the plane crashed.

Eleven passengers live, though eight died soon afterwards of their injuries. In all 80 people died.

Before the kick-off, five buglers sounded the Last Post, and the teams and the crowd stood in silence in respect for those killed.

The turning point in the match was the knee injury to the great Jean Prat. He went and Wales made merry, scoring four tries to nil in winning 21-0.

Wales won the Grand Slam that year.

The Welsh team which won the Grand Slam: B Lewis Jones, KJ Jones, MC Thomas, J Matthews, TJ Brewer, WB Cleaver, WR Willis, JD Robins, DM Davies, C Davies, DJ Hayward, ER John, WR Cale, RT Evans, JA Gwilliam (captain), G Williams, W Major.

7 April 1951: The match was played at Stade Yves du Manoir, Colombes.

France won 8-3.

Wales had dropped their captain John Gwilliam and made powerful centre Jack Matthews captain. It was the only time he captained Wales.

22 March 1952: The match was played at St Helen's Ground, Swansea.

France scored the try but Wales kicked the goals, winning 9-5 when Lewis Jones kicked two penalty goals and Alun Thomas a drop. Thomas, who was later president of the Welsh Rugby Union and manager of the famous 1974 Lions, came into the side when Cliff Morgan pulled a calf muscle.

Wales won the Grand Slam that year.

The Welsh team which won the Grand Slam: G Williams, KJ Jones, MC Thomas, BL Jones, DH Phillips, AG Thomas, WA Williams, WOG Williams, DM Davies, DJ Hayward, ER John, RG Stephens, A Forward, JA Gwilliam (captain)

28 March 1953: The match was played at Stade Yves du Manoir, Colombes.

Wales won 6-3, two tries to a later penalty goal by prop Pierre Bertrand.

Wing Gareth Griffiths scored both Wales' tries, the second when loose forward Clem Thomas crosskicked.

27 March 1954: The match was played at Cardiff Arms Park.

Two tries in Paris the previous year and the first try in this exciting match - Gareth Griffiths was again a thorn in French sides.

At half-time the score was 5-all. Wales won eventually 19-13. Wales won the championship.

26 March 1955: The match was played at Stade Yves du Manoir, Colombes.

Wales won the championship on miniscule points' differnece. Theirs was 48-28, France's 47-28. In this match Wales beat France an exciting 16-11. This was the last match in the Five Nations in 1955 and the defeat  deprived France of a first Grand Slam.

The crowd was a record 62 000, which included President René Coty.

This was the last match for the mighty Jean Prat, Monsieur Rugby.

24 March 1956: The match was played at Cardiff Arms Park.

Wales won 5-3, but, oh, the controversy.

Neath flank Derek Williams scored the winning try which Peter Copper of England awarded though it was believed by some that Williams had grounded the ball beyond the dead-ball line. He scored it ten minutes before the end of the match at the river end - the Try in the Taff! Garfield Owen converted and Wales won the championship for the third year in a row.

Playing for Wales in his only cap was Tarzan Richards, a film stuntman. He was chosen as a prop, a position he had never played before!

23 March 1957: The match was played at Stade Yves du Manoir, Colombes.

Wales scored four tries to three and won 19-13.

France scored first when Christian Darrouy's penalty bounded back off the upright and Maurice Prat scored. But it was not a good year for the French as they were wooden spoonists.

Wales did not win again in France till 1971.

29 March 1958: The match was played at Cardiff Arms Park.

This was the year when France started to do great things. They beat Wales after six successive defeats. They then went to South Africa and became the first team to win a series there for 62 years.

Much of their success was thanks to the dedicated medical doctor, Lucien Mias of Mazamet.

Michel Vannier dropped a goal in each half and France won 16-6, their first-ever win in Cardiff.

It was the last test for the great and glorious Cliff Morgan.

Afterwards Carwin James who played centre that day said: "It was a bad day for Wales but a good day for rugby football."

4 April 1959: The match was played at Stade Yves du Manoir, Colombes.

In a Paris heat wave, the stadium was packed out to see France win the championship. Before the match they sang the Marseillaise for the first time and at the end carried their captain Lucien Mias off the field.

France won 11-3.

Paris celebrated even though there was a match to play - against Ireland. Ireland won but it did not affect the championship.

26 March 1960: The match was played at Cardiff Arms Park.

France were better than Wales by more than the 16-8 score suggests,

Again France won the championship.

25 March 1961: The match was played at Stade Yves du Manoir, Colombes.

The score was 3-all at half-time and 6-3 to Wales before the great young centre Guy Boniface scored a try which Michel Vannier converted. France won 8-6.

France won the championship for the third season in a row.

24 March 1962: The match was played at Cardiff Arms Park.

Kel Coslett kicked a penalty goal, Alun Pask tackled Henri Rancoule to save a certain try and Wales won 3-0.

Wales won the match but France won the championship to make it four in a row.

23 March 1963: The match was played at Stade Yves du Manoir, Colombes.

It was cold in Paris. Wales kicked a penalty and led but then, as he had done before, Guy Boniface scored the try. Pierre Albaladejo converted and France won 5-3.

21 March 1964: The match was played at Cardiff Arms Park.

Stuart Watkins scored a try for Wales, Michel Crauste a try for France. Keith Bradshaw kicked eight points for Wales, Pierre Albaladejo eight points for France. Watkins scored his try in the last minute of the match.

The teams drew 11-all. It was the first time Wales and France had drawn.

Wales won the championship.

27 March 1965: The match was played at Stade Yves du Manoir, Colombes.

France rushed in four tries and led 22-0 before Wales got on the scoreboard.

France won 22-13.

Wales won the championship and the Triple Crown. This defeat deprived them of the Grand Slam.

Irish referee RW Gilliland burst a blood vessel in his calf with eight minutes to go in the first half and left the field and was replaced by French touch judge Bernard Marie.

26 March 1966: The match was played at Cardiff Arms Park.

Wales won 9-8, thanks to an intercept.

France were leading 8-6. Well into Welsh territory Jean Gachassin threw a long pass to Christian Darrouy's. It did not get to him for tall Stuart Watkins intercepted and ran some 75 to score the try which won the match. En route to the goal-line he handed off Pierre Lacaze.

Wales dropped Brian Thomas and Denzil Williams on the day of the match and brought in Bill Morris and Howard Norris. Morris nearly blew it. He deliberately threw the ball into touch and was penalised. Lacaze's penalty attempt flew true till the wind caught it and it veered off course.

Wales were the champions that year, thanks to that tray.

1 April 1967: The match was played at Stade Yves du Manoir, Colombes.

Guy Cambérabéro scored in all four ways for 14 points - a try, a conversion, a penalty and two dropped goals. The nighty Benoît Dauga also got a try as did Claude Dourthe whose son Richard also played centre for France.

Making a quiet debut for Wales was the great Gareth Edwards a teenager.

France won the championship again.