Wales looking for hat trick of wins

The celebrated coach was just about walking on water at the time, and Wales did it with Henry engulfed by the players on the pitch, notably Ben Evans who was in tears.

The margin was just one point at 34-33, but two years later, would you believe it, Wales managed it again, this time triumphing 43-35.

Again, no-one expected it. Can Wales make it a hat-trick at the Stade de France today ? It's Paris in the Spring, it's a 2pm kick off (1pm GMT) and if the sun is shining you would have to say Wales could get turned over big time.

There may be nothing at stake with neither side able to win any titles, unlike in Dublin tomorrow where Ireland and England battle it out for the Grand Slam in a winner-takes-all showdown.

But for Wales they must draw to avoid their first Six Nations Championship whitewash while even a share of the spoils would not avoid the wooden spoon.

And for France there is home pride at stake. They hammered Scotland in their previous home Six Nations game after holding the All Blacks to 20-20 and beating South Africa 30-10, though that was in Marseilles.

It has been their misfortune to face England and Ireland away, but everyone knows France are capable of hitting the heights and that on their day they are untouchable, particularly in their own back yard.

The way they started in their last match against Italy like a sprinter out of the blocks bodes ill for Wales.

Controversial coach Bernard Laporte, who fired his players up by calling them cheats and liars after their disappointing Dublin defeat, got the response he wanted and his team easily swept aside an Italian side which had shocked Wales in Rome.

Laporte has rewarded them by naming an unchanged side which, among other things, means Wales face that formidable back row of Olivier Magne, Imanol Harinordoquy and Serge Betson which Wales captain Martyn Williams describes as the best in the world. France also possess real menace among the threequarters, the big, tall Damien Traille and the slighter tricky Thomas Castaignede a perfect foil and wings Aurelien Rougerie and Xavier Garbajosa with pace to burn.

It all represents a huge challenge for Wales who will have to be totally focused from the start.

There can't be any lapses in concentration or the French will run riot, tackles can't be missed and line-outs definitely can't go astray.

It could well be a cracker because both sides are committed to all-out attack.

France won't play any other way especially at home while Wales coach Steve Hansen (pictured) has also picked an attacking combination of players.

Iestyn Harris is at inside centre where Hansen hopes he will show his full range of passing skills, putting runners Craig Morgan, Gareth Thomas and Rhys Williams into space.

It could even be a case of don't blink or you'll miss it, and it could be a really high scoring clash.

Wales deserve a victory for their efforts since the embarrassment of Italy, doing particularly well against Grand Slam protagonists England and Ireland.

But they were both at home in front of their own fans who helped lift the level of their performance, and both were when Jonathan Humphreys was captain.

Williams is less inspirational, taking the lead more by personal example, but his previous taste of the leadership role coincided with Wales' other lapse against Scotland at Murrayfield.

Somehow or other he has got to galvanise Wales because a bad defeat would not only land them with the whitewash, but also send them on their demanding summer visit to New Zealand and Australia on a real downer.

They're not likely to get any joy there, and after that it's the World Cup, also in Australia. So Wales have to give it one last throw of the dice today in the hope of unsettling France and even achieving the victory which the players and Hansen probably deserve.

But, as Graham Henry said those four years ago, Wales are going to have to play out of their skins.

A hat trick on French soil for the Welsh really does appear out of the question.