By Country / France

It's been exactly 100 years since Wales won their first Grand Slam, but this isn't time to get sentimental, we'll leave that to Andy Robinson's wife, who will be picking fights with another poor bugger who said her husband wasn't doing a very job as England coach this weekend... At least Brian was polite.

Wales' seven week transformation has been remarkable, so much so that Gordon Brown has rumoured to be considering inventing a position for Warren Gatland within his cabinet.

Now the final hurdle awaits and while the French horse has kept within a furlongs length, they have ample speed and old legs to forge a late photo-finish.

France are going for their own record of three consecutive titles and will need to conjure up all the magic we have come to expect when they are massive underdogs, and their last trip to Cardiff produced the upset of the World Cup.

James Hook has been brought into provide some attacking guile but he has to be careful because it won't be a sprint and he must use the experience around him to steer the ship towards safety.

Whereas Wales have been digging potholes and running ten mile ascents in the Brecon Beacons, France have been sunning themselves, sharing petit cafe's and packets of gauloises on the Cote d'Azur, such has been their contrasting performances in this year's tournament.

Marc Lievremont's has ditched his experimenting in favour of the experienced campaigners and it could be a case of expecting the unexpected that drives Wales to glory.

Prediction: France to win by 12 points.

Date: Saturday, 15 March
Venue: Millennium Stadium
Kick-off: 17:00 GMT

Jean Baptiste Elisalde returns to bolster France’s attacking arsenal as Marc Lievremont endeavours to rob Wales of the Grand Slam at the final hurdle.

David Skrela will partner Elisalde at fly-half but there is no place for Cedric Heymans - one of the stars of the tournament – who must settle for a place on the bench with Anthony Floch keeping the full-back spot.

It is a glowing recommendation for Montpellier youngster, Fulgence Ouedraogo, who staves off the more experienced challenge from Elvis Vermeulen with Julien Bonnaire packing down at No.8 alongside Thierry Dusautoir at openside.

France need to beat Wales by 20 points to retain the championship for a third successive year and Lievremont will need the lethal finishing of Six Nations top scorer, Vincent Clerc, at its brilliant best.

Auch prop, Fabien Barcella, is invited to provide the antidote for the front-row epidemic currently ravaging its way through France after he showed far more solidarity up front against a beastly Italian pack – more so than his peers have done so far anyway.

France: 15 Anthony Floch (Clermont Auvergne) 14 Vincent Clerc (Toulouse) 13 Yannick Jauzion (Toulouse) 12 Damien Traille (Biarritz) 11 Julien Malzieu (Clermont Auvergne) 10 David Skrela (Stade Francais) 9 Jean-Baptiste Elissalde(Toulouse) 8 Julien Bonnaire (Clermont-Auvergne) 7 Fulgence Ouedraogo (Montpellier) 6 Thierry Dusautoir (Toulouse) , 5 Jerome Thion (Biarritz), 4 Lionel Nallet (Castres, captain), 3 Nicolas Mas (Perpignan), 2 Dimitri Szarzewski (Stade Francais), 1 Fabien Barcella (Auch)

Replacements: 16 William Servat (Toulouse), 17 Jean-Baptiste Poux (Albi), 18 Arnaud Mela (Clermont Auvergne), 19 Elvis Vermeulen (Clermont Auvergne),, 20 Dimitri Yachvili (Biarritz), 21 Francis Trinh-Duc (Montpellier), 22 Cedric Hdeymans (Toulouse)

Date: Saturday, 15 March

Venue: Millennium Stadium

Kick-off: 17:00 GMT

Marc Lievremont has delayed naming his side until Wednesday but the French coach has preferred to go for experience rather than youth for the RBS 6 Nations decider with Wales.

Toulouse trio, Cedric Heymans, Thierry Dusautoir and Jean Baptiste Elisalde are recalled alongside Elvis Vermeulen.

Aurelien Rougerie is the unlucky fall-guy, especially after his Man-of-the-Match performance against Italy but club colleague Julien Malzieu looks set to join Heymans and Vincent Clerc in a tasty back-three.

The big question remains at fly-half with Francois Trinh-Duc fighting it out with Skrela for a starting berth.

France must win 20 points if they are to upset the apple cart in Cardiff but the tactically astute Warren Gatland is likely to target the French forwards for more punishment.

France (probable): 15. Cedric Heymans 14. Vincent Clerc 13. Damien Traille 12. Yannick Jauzion 11. Julien Malzieu 10. Francois Trinh-Duc 9. Jean-Baptiste Elisalde 1. Jean-Batptiste Poux 2. Dimitri Szarzewski 3. Nicolas Mas 4. Jerome Thion 5. Lionel Nallet 6. Julien Bonnaire 7. Thierry Dusautoir 8. Elvis Vermeulen

Replacements: 16. William Servat 17. Fabien Barcella 18.  Arnaud Mela 19. Fulgence Ouedraogo 20. Dimitri Yachvilli 21. David Skrela 22. Anthony Floch

Date: Saturday 15 March
Venue: Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
Kick-Off: 17:00

The fly-half merry-go-round has begun at Stade Francais after David Skrela signed a three-year deal down south in Toulouse. With Juan Martin Hernandez desperate to play at No.10, his move to Leicester may not be as crystal clear, although Lionel Beauxis has confirmed he will be staying with the Parisian giants for another two years.

France 25-13 Italy

France: Tries: A Floch Y Jauzion A Rougerie Cons: D Yachvilli (2) Pens: Yachvilli (2)
Italy: Tries: M Castrogiovanni Cons: A Marcato Pens A Marcato

France laboured to victory that ensured the RBS 6 Nations will go into a final weekend but another staccato performance from Les Bleus will not give Warren Gatland many sleepless nights this week.

France may prevent the Grand Slam but for Wales to come off 20 points worse than their Gallic counterparts in Cardiff next weekend - Italy have got more chance of winning the next World Cup!

Marc Lievremont will be happier after his latest trial of players came up trumps. He may look back on the tournament with the verdict that using 37+ players represents a successful RBS 6 Nations, but in truth another pummelling in the scrum shows there are still lots of cracks and creases that need ironing out before the next set of testing.

Three excellent tries for Anthony Floch, Yannick Jauzion and Aurelien Rougerie couldn’t hide the fact that if Italy possessed a back-line with half of France’s invention then they would’ve undoubtedly claimed their first victory over the holders.

When Martin Castrogiovanni burrowed his way over from a line-out, Italy found themselves five points short but contrasting to previous weeks, the masterful old heads of Jauzion and Dimitri Yachvilli managed to keep a wobbly ship from sinking further into a sea of uncertainty.