With the Guinness Six Nations all over, for the men at least, the thoughts of Les Bleus now turn fully to the Rugby World Cup 2023 which is approaching at a rate of knots.

France fly half Romain Ntamack “The Six Nations is over, it was our last deadline before the Rugby World Cup so we now think about it more and more. We tell ourselves that the next time we get together it will be for real. It’s a little weird because we’ve had it in the back our minds for so long, we work for it, it’s getting closer but we must moderate this obsession”

The attritional Top 14 season ends on June 17 and eight days later the 42 man national squad assemble, when France embark on their initial training block at Carpiagne, a military training camp east of Marseille, from there they head to Monaco, before returning to the home comforts of Marcoussis. In August they head to Capbreton north of Biarritz for a few mouthfuls of Atlantic air.

France have four warm up matches prior to their opening RWC match against New Zealand. They face Scotland twice, at Murrayfield on 5th August, and again in Saint-Etienne on 12 August. They then entertain Fiji in Nantes on 19 August.

The final 33 man Rugby World squad is announced on 21 August, before the final warm up game against Australia at Stade de France in Paris on Sunday August 27.

After that final warm up game France will take up residence at Rueil-Malmaison in the Hauts-de-Seine for the duration of RWC 2023.

A tribute ceremony in memory of Federico Martin Aramburú shot dead in the early morning of Saturday March 19, 2022, took place last Sunday at 146 boulevard Saint-Germain in Paris. A moment of intense emotion and reflection in the presence of the family and loved ones of the former Biarritz player, murdered at the tender age of just 42.

Under the dark rainy crying skies of Paris a moving tribute was paid to Federico Martin Aramburú, killed in a drive-by shooting in the French capital’s chic Saint-Germain neighbourhood.

In the early hours of that fateful Saturday he and some friends got embroiled in a dispute with another group at a cafe. The argument appeared to have been settled but the men came back and fired at Aramburu, who was hit with three bullets.

Aramburu played as a centre and wing, winning 22 Argentina caps including at the 2007 World Cup in France, where he scored a try as the Pumas beat the hosts in the third-place playoff.

The ceremony on Sunday was organised by the City of Paris on the initiative of Pierre Rabadan, deputy mayor in charge of sport. Many personalities from the world of rugby attended including Stade Francais coach Gonzalo Quesada, Bernard Laporte and the ex-captain of France Guilhem Guirado.

Also in attendance were Federico’s Olympic Biarritz internationals Brusque, Thion, Traille, Couzinet, Yachvili, Thomas Lievremont, Dusautoir, Carizza and rugby legends Philippe Sella, Serge Blanco and Pascal Ondarts.

Current France scrum half scrum-half Maxime Lucu left the team Hôtel des Bleus to take part in the ceremony.

Aramaburu’s parents and other family members arrived from Argentina in the middle of the week. Cecilia Aramburú Federico’s mother, did not hide her disbelief in her son’s tragic death and spoke emotionally.

A stand alone temporary plaque brought by the family carried the message “Never again should a family be bereaved because of the ideas and hatred that nest in fanaticisms like that of the ‘far right”.

It refers to the two indicted individuals Loïk Le Priol and Romain Bouvier, far-right militants suspected of being the assassins. “We will always fight these ideas which led to this tragedy, swore Pierre Rabadan. I will denounce again and again identity ideology, racism. Federico Martin Aramburu will be a face of this fight. “Fede was in Paris to enjoy life in this district so emblematic of rugby. He was coldly murdered”

The ceremony ended with “Dale alegria a mi Corazon” (Bring joy to my heart” a composition by Fito Paez, beautifully sung by Maria Martin Aramburú widow of the former rugby player with her three-year-old son in her arms, her sunny smile a beacon of light under the dark skies of Paris.

I love Paris in the springtime.
I love Paris in the fall.
I love Paris in the winter when it drizzles,
I love Paris in the summer when it sizzles.

“I Love Paris” is a popular song written by Cole Porter and published in 1953, and it is very difficult to disagree with the lyrics. Paris is very easy to fall in love with.

I was here for France v Scotland in February, at an arctic Stade de France, so making a delightful return in March has taken me, and the Guinness Six Nations, on a journey from Winter to early spring, although the Cole Porter’s drizzle was very much evident after a beautifully sunny Parisian morning, and it had me thinking maybe Sacha Distel’s 70s hit Raindrops keep falling on my head would be a more apt musical analogy.

France v Wales is always a very special fixture. Back in the olden days, when I was young, this game invariably decided who won the championship with whoever had the home advantage that particular year usually ended up winning the title.

On Saturday in Paris, France and Wales were at totally different ends of the table, but it was Wales that started the brighter with a George North try after just 7 minutes. Penaud and Danty replied tries for France to give them a 20-7 half time lead, but it wasn’t the blue tsunami that many were expecting.

This band of Blue Brothers with an 80,000 backing group played with total disregard for Cole Porter’s seasonal lyrics, Romain Ntamack and Antoine DuPont sizzled and it wasn’t even summer, and when the entire ensemble were in tune they hit all the right notes in a glorious rugby medley.

Despite conceding two early second half tries to Atonio and Fickou, taking the score to 34-7, Wales refused to give in and two touchdowns of their own from replacements Bradley Roberts and Tomos Williams brought the score back to 34-21

Penaud went over in the 77th minute but Wales had the last word with a Rio Dyer try in the final minute, which Leigh Halfpenny converted to make the final score 41-28, a bonus point win for France, with Wales collecting a delightfully unexpected bonus point for scoring four tries.

As the fireworks drifted up into the early evening sky both sides turn their International thoughts fully to the Rugby World Cup to be held here in the republic in a few months time.

The drizzle continued at Cafe du Nord in a much more pleasant manner as the balsamic vinegar cascaded on to my accompanying side salad post match.

If Irish eyes were smiling then French ones were certainly grinning, whilst the Welsh visual organs were wide open staring at the task in front of them.

Defeat in Paris never seems quite as dreadful as it does anywhere else, Cole Porter was not alone in his love for this beautiful city as fans of every rugby playing nation will testify, I will leave the last word to Monsieur Porter himself.

Every time I look down on this timeless town
Whether blue or gray be her skies
Whether loud be her cheers, or whether soft be her tears
More and more do I realize that I love Paris in the spring time

Ok let’s get this straight right from the start, no one, and I mean no one, has, does, or ever will draw comparison to Gareth Edwards as the greatest scrum half I have ever seen in that evocative and glorious number nine shirt.

It has been almost blasphemous where I come from to even whisper the possibility of anyone coming close to the grand master.

Some folks in the dark corners of smoke filled rooms have nervously whispered about pretenders to the throne, but those who were mentioned never quite reached the Edwards benchmark.

Many have tried but as clear as the Welsh Knight follows day no one has really come close.

But Father I have sinned, I find myself harbouring immoral thoughts that there just might be someone perilously close to reaching that exalted pedestal which the man from Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen occupies.

Lannemezan is a town in the Hautes-Pyrenees about 26,000 years old. It is situated between Tarbes and Toulouse with a population of less than 6,000 people, an unremarkable town that is the birthplace of a remarkable scrum half, Antoine Dupont the man who is lighting up the rugby world.

The small French town also produced Pierre Berbizier another outstanding number nine who also went on to become the National coach.

The superlatives keep coming for the 5ft 9ins scrum half, incidentally the same measurements as Sir Gareth, he has it all, speed, strength, can kick off both feet and is a superb passer of the ball.

I count myself extremely fortunate to have seen both players in the flesh, the first time I saw Gareth play was for Cardiff against the All Blacks in Cardiff as a fourteen year old, and my first glimpse of Antoine took place at a packed Stade de France in 2017, the 100 minute match between France and Wales refereed by Wayne Barnes, which France won 20-18 as a fifty nine year old, I’m pretty sure I won’t see another scrum half as wonderful as those two.

Come the end of the Rugby World Cup this Autumn we might just have to make that lofty pedestal a tandem for Edwards and Dupont and If the greatest writer of the written word would have written that story, no one would have believed it. Cliff would have agreed I’m sure.

As National Anthems go, the Italian theme tune is as stirring as they come, and one of the best in the Guinness Six Nations.

Yesterday at the Stadio Olympic under sun drenched blue skies, Italy were looking to continue their progress as a team finally starting to live up to its musical counterpart.

Italy have always had a good anthem, but their rugby team have lagged behind their bel canto team mate in terms of quality and performance.

The opening lines of Goffredo Mameli’s composition could not be more apt, Fratelli d’Italia, L’Italia s’è desta (Brothers of Italy, Italy has awakened).

At the Stadio Olympic Italy’s awakening stalled as Wales finally dragged themselves from their winter rugby hibernation.

Rio started the carnival after 9 minutes with try following a chip ahead by Rhys Webb that gave the young Dyer the kindest of bounces.

Liam Williams beat four Italians on his way to the try line with 18 minutes on the clock before a 34th minute penalty try gave Wales a confidence boosting 22-3 half time lead.

Despite a 43rd minute Italian try from Sebastian Negri Italy continued to spurn chance after chance which was the theme of their afternoon, and a Taulupe Faletau try on 50 minutes, following a sumptuous break from man of the match Rhys Webb, gave Wales a comforting 29-10 lead with half an hour remaining.

As Wales began to look the more weary of the two sides an Juan Ignacio Brex try with 12 minutes remaining gave Italy hope, but Wales hung on to give earn a bonus point victory.

In the current climate this result has come as welcome oasis in a desert of turmoil, unrest, and mistrust back home. The victory will be rightly celebrated before thoughts turn to facing a rampant France on their home patch in a weeks time.

After France’ 53-10 demolition of England at Twickenham facing Les Bleus at Stade de France is a daunting prospect. Wales head to Nice today to start a weeks preparation on the Côte d’Azur, let’s hope they bring that Riviera touch to the capital on Saturday.

An established broadcaster, Nolli Waterman will be part of ITV’s 2021 Women’s Rugby World Cup coverage as it offers UK-wide, free to air coverage of the tournament. For the very first time, a UK broadcaster will show all games live in a Women’s Rugby World Cup on free to air television, with matches shown across ITV and ITV4.

Some of you may not know just how good a rugby player Nolli actually was. On the the southern edges of the South-West coast her daring deeds are spoken of in reverential terms.

When the mist rolls in off the Bristol Channel on a cold winters night, the folks that inhabit The Old Ship Aground pub in Minehead tell tales that send shivers down your spine, tales of shipwrecks and smugglers, tales of peril and tragedy in the local waters that have one of the highest tidal ranges in the world.

Inevitably as the night gets darker, and the ale more plentiful, the tales get taller, as indeed do the stories of local heroes who have become legends, largely through many misty ale soaked nights where the thin line between fact and fiction is breached.

One local legend is immune from such treatment, a local Barbarian whose exploits are so incredible in their own right, there is no need for embellishment, even fiction writer Arthur C Clarke, also born in Minehead, would have difficulty making these tales taller, even ale assisted.

Rugby can be a brutal and unforgiving sport but every now and then a player arrives on the scene that can raise the game above the ordinary, a player who amid the bump and grind of top-level sport, manages to make the difficult look easy, a player whose skill and execution provided a sheer beauty, grace and elegance that warmed the soul, set our pulses racing, a player that appeared to have more time and space than those around them, Danielle Waterman was such a player.

A red rose that could always be guaranteed to bloom, whatever the weather, whatever the soil conditions, she graced the white shirt on eighty-two occasions.

It is impossible to calculate how many girls and women have been inspired to take up the game by watching her, but I have witnessed first hand the  “Nolli Effect” around the playing fields of Europe.

She was renowned for her bravery on the field, but perhaps even more noteworthy is her bravery off it, for being part of the RPA “Lift The Weight” campaign and discussing her depression candidly, typically, not for her own benefit, but through a desire to help others who may or have suffered similarly.

Danielle Waterman’s list of achievements make impressive reading, a Rugby World Cup winner in 2014, nomination for World Player of the Year, a member of the first ever Team GB Rugby Sevens squad to compete at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.

Nolli captained England A at the tender age of seventeen, and made her full England debut in 2003 whilst revising for her A levels, aged just eighteen.

But in the years to come we will not be discussing the cold statistics, it will be that sidestep, that tackle, or the unique running style, and that joyous smile after scoring a try or making a last ditch tackle.

So if you ever happen to visit “The Ship Aground” on a damp misty moonlit night and you notice the locals huddled together speaking in hushed tones, they may well be telling tales of horticulture, or to be specific their favourite local Red Rose.

Yes I’m afraid it has come to this, Wales the team that has in recent years been used to preparing for vital matches with Triple Crowns, Grand Slams and Championship deciders at stake, are now having to throw the kitchen sink at an emerging and exciting Italian side in order to avoid rugby’s ultimate booby prize.

In fact Wales at present look like they will need to throw the kitchen sink, the dishwasher and their George Foreman grill at the Azzuri or else another piece of kitchenware will be heading their way, the dreaded “wooden spoon”.

Wales last Wooden Spoon came under the leadership of Steve Hansen back in 2003, their defeat in Rome that year left them doomed to a Six Nations whitewash losing to at home England (26-9) and Ireland (25-24) along with away defeats to Italy, Scotland (30-22) and France (33-5).

The similarities to 2023 are striking, not just the fact that 2003 was also a Rugby World Cup year.

Italy won only their second ever Six Nations game ever when they defeated a dismal Wales side in the Rome sunshine on February 15th 2003. It set Wales on a downward spiral for the rest of the Championship.

The Italians, led by playmaker Diego Dominguez, destroyed the Welsh pack and starved Steve Hansen’s men of any possession.

Tries from Giampiero De Carli, Carlo Festuccia and Matthew Phillips were matched by touchdowns from Tom Shanklin, Steve Williams and Dwayne Peel but Wales were second best in every other area.

The teams that day make interesting reading:

Italy: P Vaccari (Calvisano); Mauro Bergamasco (Treviso), C Stoica (Castres/Fra), G Ranieri (Calvisano), D Dallan (Treviso); D Dominguez (Stade Francais/Fra), A Troncon (Treviso, capt); G De Carli (Calvisano), C Festuccia (Gran Parma), R Martinez (Treviso), C Bezzi (Viadana), M Bortolami (Padova), A De Rossi (Calvisano), A Persico (Viadana), M Phillips (Viadana).

Reps: A Moretti (Calvisano), S Perugini (Calvisano), M Giacheri (Rotherham/Eng), S Palmer (Treviso), J Manuel Queirolo (Dax/Fra), R Pez (Rotherham/Eng), Mirco Bergamasco (Padova).

Wales: R Williams (Cardiff); M Jones (Llanelli), T Shanklin (Saracens), L Davies (Llanelli), G Thomas (Bridgend); I Harris (Cardiff), D Peel (Llanelli); I Thomas (Llanelli), M Davies (Pontypridd), B Evans (Swansea), R Sidoli (Pontypridd), S Williams (Northampton), M Owen (Pontypridd), M Williams (Cardiff), C Charvis (Swansea, capt).

Reps: G Williams (Bridgend), G Jenkins (Pontypridd), D Jones (Llanelli), G Thomas (Bath), G Cooper (Bath), C Sweeney (Pontypridd), M Watkins (Llanelli).

For the record Scotland and Ireland have recorded the most 5/6 Nations wooden spoons with 23 each.

Italy have 17, England 13, Wales 10 and France bringing up the rear with 9.

When it comes to championship whitewashes Scotland and Italy have the most with 11 each. Ireland and France have 7 each.

Then come Wales with 3 and England with 2.

Welsh fans will be hoping their team’s statistics in this department do not alter during the next few weeks.

There is a small bakery tucked away down a quiet side street just a stones throw from Stade de France, due to its discreet location it remains relatively uninhabited on international match days.

I discovered it in 2016 when France played Italy in the Six Nations, and it has remained my first port of call on arrival in Saint-Denis ever since.

That Six Nations fixture match in 2016 was the first major sporting event to be held in Paris following the terrorist attacks at the Bataclan, and indeed at the stadium itself.

That day my espresso was delivered to me at my table via a machine gun totting member of the French military, It was the strangest atmosphere I have ever encountered at a rugby international.

Happily eight years later the clientele at Boulangerie Patisserie Lagneb in Rue Jesse Owens were unarmed and looking much more relaxed, and indeed much more kilted.

There is something special about Paris in the winter, the moment you step off the train at Gare du Nord, the aroma of coffee engulfs your senses as you hit the dark misty gloom lit up by the neon lights of the cafes and bars in rue dunkerque. Paris does the cold dark miserable season like no other city, with its inimitable style and class.

Historically France and Scotland have a very special bond. In 1942 Charles DeGaulle described it as the oldest alliance in the world. “In every combat for five centuries when the destiny of France was at stake, there were always men of Scotland to fight by the side of the men of France, and what Frenchmen feel is that no people has ever been more generous with its friendship”.

The auld alliance with France was first agreed in 1295 built on France’ need to curtail English expansion. The canny Scots were given the pick of the best French wines as a result of this accord.

Sunday Guinness Six Nations fixtures can sometimes feel a little bit flat, but yesterday there was a real buzz of expectation and nervous anticipation in the air.

France after 14 successive wins were defeated in Dublin two weeks ago, the public of the republic were expecting a blue backlash and they got one but not quite the one they expected or indeed hoping for.

In fact it turned out to be a “white backlash” as the home team wearing white shirts to avoid a colour clash with the visitors, managed a bonus point win in a pulsating contest.

Both sides received red cards in the first 10 minutes, Gilchrist after just seven minutes and Haouas four minutes later.

Scotland trailed 19-0 after twenty minutes but scored three tries before to trail by only four points with less than a minute remaining.

However, Gael Fickou with 79.34 on the clock glided between Price and Bhatti to dive over and score the try that gave France a bonus point win.

At café du Nord there was a feeling of quiet satisfaction as over a glass of red and a plate of steak frites, the whispers returned about the possibility of World Cup glory in a few months time, a feat rarer than the piece of beef looking up at me from my plate, but this French team with their beauty and power are well and truly capable of grasping their oval Holy Grail.

Bon appetite

Situated 438 miles away from Cardiff in a bar down the road from Gare du Nord station, it felt very strange watching Wales face England on the multi screens of a Parisian watering-hole, rather than from the press box of the Principality Stadium.

In many ways it was quite a relief to take some distance from the depressing events that occupied the recent weeks news in my homeland.

Yet I felt the Hiraeth, the longing to be with my rugby brothers and sisters in the cauldron of Cardiff, but hey Paris is a pretty good alternative.

The million dollar question was how would the players respond to the overwhelming distractions that must surely have disrupted preparations for this massive game.

Owen Williams finally got the rugby underway after a week of turmoil that put the match in doubt until as late as Thursday evening.

A collective oo la la greeted a Tomos Williams tapped penalty but the very best was reserved for referee Mathieu Raynal, the man from Perpignan, who got a very loud “Merde” and a massive Gallic shoulder shrug at regular whistle blowing intervals.

The bar fell silent as half time approached and thoughts turned to vital rehydration. Trays of beer, bottles of claret and the odd Kir raced passed the television screens in a frantic effort to get everyone prepared for the second half.

Clearing out slower than the Welsh forwards at the rucks the bar staff managed to just about be back on side as Louis Rees-Zammit streaked away for a try that gave Wales hope.

Sadly hope turned into blind faith as Wales toothless attack failed to trouble the English defence, and we were reminded just exactly where Wales are in the pecking order of world rugby.

79 minutes on the clock and an exhausted waiter dropped a profiterole with the table at his mercy it was that kind of day.

Time catches up with us all. I have now reached the age where every bending motion is a challenge and even rising from a seat cannot be achieved without an accompanying groan.

When at your peak it is difficult to imagine life in any other way, but time passes all too quickly and some of Wales wonderful players are now reaching the bending and groaning stage in rugby terms.

Bodies battered by years of brutal attrition are beginning to weaken even minor niggles now take longer to shake off, timing is out by a hundredth of a second, and at the elite international level that split second really matters.

Warren Gatland says Wales are in a hole, well it feels more like the Grand Canyon after the opening two weeks of the 2023 Guinness Six Nations.

Ideally rebuilding a team is a gradual process blending the old and the new in the hope of a seamless transition, but somehow Wales have left it far too late and found themselves caught between two very small stools, and in a Rugby World Cup year.

In Wales the problem goes far deeper, the whole structure and organisation of the game and it’s values have been deeply eroded, and we have finally got to the stage where there is nowhere to hide both on and off the field.

France found themselves in the same situation five years ago and look at them now.

As Welsh Rugby hopefully sorts itself out off the field, Warren Gatland’s unenviable task is to make Wales competitive whilst undertaking a massive changing of the guard.

I fear there will be a lot of bending and groaning over the next few years, but there is some serious young talent in Wales on the field and in the boardroom, who in time can take us out of the current darkness and into rugby daylight.

As Bob Dylan said

Come gather ’round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You’ll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you is worth savin’
And you better start swimmin’
Or you’ll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin’

Wales are currently in the shallow end of the rugby pool shivering and wearing armbands, in less than two weeks time they face England in Cardiff, barring strike action from the players, it’s time to sink or swim.