Take That will perform the spectacular return of their record-breaking tour ‘The Circus Live’ at the Principality Stadium on 16th June 2026.

This afternoon France decided that Wales would ‘Take That’ a few months early in a rugby circus where the clown car called Welsh rugby tooted its horn and backfired as the doors fell off.

With Valentine’s Day in their rear view mirror, love was in the air for the bleus brothers. They did all the wooing, capturing our hearts with beautiful lines of running together with a grace and beauty that defied their more than ample physicality.

After the terrors of Twickenham it was carnage in Cardiff as the blue wave turned into a tsunami engulfing the Welsh defence, or rather the lack of it, and swept them off their feet.

France got so far over the gain line their second phase almost developed in Westgate street, Wales had no answers, in fact they couldn’t even understand the questions.

A crowd of 57,744 the lowest ever crowd in Cardiff for a match in the tournament turned up. How many were paying customers it is hard to calculate as thousands of tickets were reportedly given away in an effort to fill the stadium.

France’s eight try victory was beyond comfortable, without an ounce of pressure after building a 19-0 lead in the first quarter of an hour.

Wales showed improvements from Twickenham, but it would have been difficult not to, their scrum and line out went well, and they scored two tries.

This French side are a joy to watch from 1 to 23 they play rugby from the gods. With fly half Mathieu Jalibert in the form of his life, and Antoine Dupont alongside, the back line purrs what Wales wouldn’t give for players of similar quality.

To add to Wales woes they have a challenging six-day turnaround before they face Scotland on Saturday, it never rains in Welsh rugby when it pours.