Wayne Pivac passed on his thanks and gratitude to Scotland coach Gregor Townsend after Wales clinched the Six Nations title. Pivac watched from home as the Scots came from behind to win another thrilling match in Paris, 27-23, with a last-ditch try in the fifth minute of added time through Duhan van der Merwe. France needed to score four tries and win by 21 points to deny Wales the championship crown, but although they crossed three times, they never threatened to shake that far clear of the Scots who enjoyed long spells of dominance.

The Six Nations title will be decided in Paris tonight, even though most of the judgements on Wales in this tournament have already been made. Harri Morgan says measurements of progress were easy to find, but the important factor now is to keep the forward momentum. I don’t profess to be down with the lingo. But I’m fairly certain French rugby has been living ‘rent free in my head’ for much of the last decade.  It certainly has a low cost timeshare.

Forget Wayne Pivac, Steve Tandy is the Welshman with most at stake this evening when the destiny of the 2021 Six Nations title will be decided in Paris. Wales head coach Pivac will be chewing his fingernails – much like many supporters – as he watches France try and beat Scotland with enough tries and points to claim the championship trophy and push Wales into second place. But imagine being Tandy, whose countrymen are depending on his organisation of Scotland’s defence so that it’s good enough not to succumb to a 21-point losing margin.

The Six Nations will come to a strange conclusion on Friday night when France host Scotland in Paris in an empty stadium, with Wales absent, even though they could be crowned champions. It might be a fitting conclusion to the oddest of tournaments, but some things are still clear to Fraser Watson – like the need to promote Willis Halaholo to a Wales starter. Progress to laud, but lessons to heed. So, a Six Nations campaign for Wales which yielded a record number of tries, unearthed rising stars, and ultimately vindicated Wayne Pivac, was tainted only by a frenzied few minutes in Paris.

Glenn Delaney admitted the Scarlets had to “circle the wagons” before they could arrive at their European destination. The head coach praised his side’s resourcefulness and powers of recovery after they overcame a huge 21-point deficit against Connacht to secure their place in next season’s Heineken Champions Cup. The Scarlets recovered from an awful first half to beat Connacht 41-36 and cement their place in next season’s main European tournament.

Alun Wyn Jones has proven he should captain the British and Irish Lions captain this summer, according to former Wales star James Hook. Jones captained Wales to impressive wins over Ireland, Scotland, England and Italy during this year’s Six Nations, but they were denied a first Grand Slam under Wayne Pivac when France beat them with a last-gasp try in Paris on Saturday. Wales still have strong hopes of winning the tournament, with France needing a bonus-point victory by a margin of at least 21 points over Scotland on Friday to snatch the title, but the thoughts of their players will now begin to turn to this summer’s Lions tour against South Africa.

The Scarlets can come close to clinching a Heineken Champions Cup place for next season if they beat Connacht tonight at Parc y Scarlets. It was to have been a comeback game for Rhys Patchell, but the Wales international has a fresh injury, to the disappointment of Dan Jones as he told Graham Thomas. Dan Jones admits Rhys Patchell has “been through hell” and has plenty of sympathy for his Scarlets No.10 rival now Jones has suffered the misery of a concussion injury himself. Jones has the starting spot when the Scarlets hosts Connacht on Monday night in the Scarlets’ final match of the regular Guinness Pro 14 season.

Wales head coach Wayne Pivac says he was left “numb” after his side were denied a Grand Slam as France snatched victory in one of the most exciting Six Nations climaxes in history. With 10 minutes remaining in Paris, Wales were leading by 10 points with France reduced to 14 men, but then they had two players sin-binned and were pegged back by a Charles Ollivon try. Brice Dulin then scored another try in stoppage time to secure an astonishing 32-30 win that leaves both teams still in the hunt for the title but with Welsh Grand Slam hopes gone.

Alun Wyn Jones admitted poor discipline cost Wales as they suffered last-gasp heartbreak in Paris and saw their Six Nations Grand Slam dreams end with a dramatic 32-30 defeat by France. Wayne Pivac’s side looked like they would seal a clean sweep after they scored tries through Dan Biggar, Josh Navidi and Josh Adams before France’s Paul Willemse was red carded. But in an astonishing finale at the Stade de France, Wales pair Taulupe Faletau and Liam Williams were both yellow carded and Brice Dulin’s try with the clock in the red zone won it for the hosts.

Andrew Martin . . .  Know the name? It’s not one that automatically springs to mind when discussing the success of Welsh rugby in recent times, but he’s played as big a part as anyone in delivering the team to so many highlights. In order to be successful in sport, you need everything in place and everything has to be pin-point accurate.

Liam Williams believes Wales are good enough to create history this evening. The full-back will help his country earn a fifth Grand Slam of the Six Nations era – more than any other nation – if they beat France in Paris. After the Warren Gatland era ended, Wales suffered their worst tournament campaign since 2007, finishing fifth in last year’s 2020 competition under new coach Wayne Pivac.

Alun Wyn Jones will become the first player ever to win four Grand Slams if Wales beat France on Saturday night. Gareth Edwards managed three. So, the question is, does that now make AWJ the greatest Welsh rugby player of all time? Steffan Thomas thinks so. Welsh rugby folklore is still dominated by the achievements of the great Wales sides of the 1970s who played starring roles in the most successful British & Irish Lions touring parties of all time. Every era in every sport is dominated by world class athletes, but there are those who occasionally reach god-like status which merits statues and roads named after them.

There will be more than just a Six Nations title and Grand Slam at stake when Wales face France in Paris on Saturday night. For the Welsh players, there are reputations to be made, or broken, as Lions selections this summer, says Harri Morgan. “At the death zone, continue straight on Summit Street for 849m.” The directions a Himalayan adventurer must follow, if they are to achieve the selfie at the top of the hill.

Shaun Edwards was once the builder of the original red wall. But tomorrow he hopes it’s smashed to pieces, having handed the sledgehammer to Gael Fickou. It’s not the first time Edwards has put his faith in the French centre, as Graham Thomas reports. Shaun Edwards’ defensive general is determined to command a French resistance force which can deny Wales the Grand Slam in Paris on Saturday night. Gael Fickou was famously pinpointed by Edwards as the future of French rugby nine years ago.

Wayne Pivac believes his side’s “painful” autumn helped plants the seeds for what could blossom into a glorious Grand Slam Six Nations for Wales. Going into the final round of the tiurnament, Wales are four from four and a win against France in Paris on Saturday night will secure a fifth Six Nations Grand Slam since 2005. In particular, head coach Pivac has been delighted with the improved set piece.

Wayne Pivac believes Wales’ experience will prove the vital difference in their Six Nations finale against a strong France side in Paris. Wales will field the most experienced starting XV in their history with 987 international caps, with 14 of the starting line-up having won Grand Slams in the past. A sixth Six Nations crown and fifth Grand Slam will be secured if they beat solitary title rivals France on Saturday night and Pivac is confident his experienced players will come to the fore.

It is half a century since Wales last won a Grand Slam on a foreign field. It was a day they overcame a France team that contained Pierre Villepreux. His influence will need overcoming again on Saturday, if Wales are to repeat their triumph in Paris, says Tomas Marks. For any player, to beat the opposition on their own turf has that added satisfaction. While Welsh supporters have been able to celebrate a number of Grand Slams in recent years, each of those final Six Nations games has been in Cardiff.

Callum Sheedy has gone from boozy fan to the main man for Wales, even if Dan Biggar is still the landlord at No.10. If Wayne Pivac is true to recent form then Biggar will start at outside-half for the Grand Slam mission against France in Paris on Saturday and Sheedy will be responsible for locking up. That’s how it worked with the Triple Crown decider against England and there is little to suggest that Sheedy will not be called upon from the bench in Wales’ final match of the Six Nations.

Wales will be playing a major part in a ground-breaking weekend triple bill of international rugby league in England this June, as sides prepare for the Rugby League World Cup. To kick the weekend off, there will be an historic double-header featuring the England Men’s and Women’s teams at Warrington’s Halliwell Jones Stadium on Friday June 25.

Ken Owens has paid tribute to head coach Wayne Pivac ahead of Wales’ final push for the Guinness Six Nations title and a fifth Grand Slam. Wales stand on the verge of conquering European rugby once more, with Pivac’s team transformed from one that claimed just three Test match victories last year. If they beat France in Paris – something Wales have achieved on three of their last four Six Nations visits – then it would complete a startling recovery.