TWO great European cities, two great Welsh performances, two down one to go.

Rome has been ravaged, Paris has been plastered (literally!), now it's on to Edinburgh for the next leg of a remarkable Grand Slam bid.

Who would have believed it? Three out of three wins for Wales - England, Italy and France, two of them away, all beaten while England have lost three out of three.

Wales at the top of the Six Nations table and England at the bottom. What a turnaround! And Saturday really was one of the best. A great game, a great victory, a real spectacle and a worthy victory in a match which tugged at the heartstrings.

While one writer at the Scotland-Italy game was explaining how he had 'enjoyed' more exciting afternoons watching a bowl of porridge, everyone was absolutely enthralled by the events of Paris, even at its most perishing.

And to think it was Wales who planned a big start to prevent France from exploding, yet it was the French who began like a firecracker and looked to have the game won in the first quarter.

Yet though it looked all over, out came Wales after the interval to turn the game on its head and blast France away only to have to defend for their lives in the final minutes as the French threw the kitchen sink at them.

It was the stuff of drama, a game that will pass into legend, straight out of the seventies scrapbook and one which had fans privileged to witness it at first hand saying "I was there.' It was that memorable.

Now for Scotland - a game which is already being taken for granted as a Welsh banker given the Scots' wretched form at international and regional level.

But don't you believe it.

Murrayfield is littered with ghosts of Welsh teams past whose title hopes have been buried by unsung Scottish teams.

Bobby Windsor remembers how the Welsh team of 30 years ago marched on Murrayfield after that famous win over France at Parc des Prince - the match of the Graham Price try - only to lose 12-10.

So it's no foregone conclusion, but if Wales can win in Italy and France they can surely do the business in Edinburgh as well, to set up a brilliant Celtic Grand Slam showdown against Ireland on March 19.

But Wales are losing players at a rate of knots - skipper Gareth Thomas the latest after Colin Charvis, Sonny Parker, Duncan Jones, Dafydd Jones and Hal Luscombe.

Thomas will be badly missed, not least because of his exhilarating leadership, the way he carries everyone with him, players and fans alike.

And it leaves coach Mike Ruddock with a real selection dilemma. For if he goes with a 'back three' of Kevin Morgan, Shane Williams and Rhys Williams it's a bit of a diddymen line-up, skilful and elusive for sure but with little physical presence.

Luscombe would play, but remains a doubt with his hamstring injury and he also has knee and hand problems.

Talking of Ruddock, what a success he's been and his abilities are now being recognised far and wide, even if they are no more than he showed with Newport Gwent Dragons last season.

Before the start of the Six Nations I wrote in this column how he's the right man at the right time for Wales.

How true that's proving.

He can also expect many of his charges to be on the plane with the British Lions heading for New Zealand this summer.

Stephen Jones for starters.

What a transformation he's been this season, blossoming into an all-round player of real substance, a Welshman playing in France but wearing his heart on his sleeve, fighting for the cause and a real credit in every way.

Shane Williams is now frightening the life out of everyone, Thomas provided he's fit will go, while Gavin Henson, scrum halves Dwayne Peel and Gareth Cooper, Gethin Jenkins, Michael Owen and Martyn Williams are all front runners for the Lions.

Others can't be ruled out as the Six Nations canvas is painted red.