PARIS - Holders France host Wales in the Six Nations's final round on Saturday with the two teams' paths since the 2019 Rugby World Cup having taken very different directions.
In less than four years ex-Test captain Fabien Galthie has changed an underperforming Les Bleus by leading them to last year's Six Nations Grand Slam and they have lost just once since July 2021, to world number one side Ireland last month.
Their impressive form and clinical performances were highlighted last weekend with a record 53-10 thumping over England in Twickenham.
"The match in England pleased us a lot," Galthie said this week.
"We're not going to hide that but we saw we had a lot to improve on.
"What's good with that match was the intensity we played with opened doors and showed us we can play better," he added.
Wales may have won the 2021 Six Nations under then new coach Wayne Pivac but the New Zealander was sacked last December and replaced by Warren Gatland after underwhelming defeats to the likes of Italy and Georgia.
Pivac's compatriot Gatland returned after leading the national side for more than a decade, ending with a fourth place finish at the World Cup in Japan.
Gatland's side have won just once this campaign, in Italy last weekend, before the former British and Irish Lions boss rekindles a flame with former defence coach Shaun Edwards.
Edwards left Wales for Paris after the World Cup and has instilled a steely discipline to France's play without the ball.
Gatland's matchday squad has a host of players aged 30 or over including captain Ken Owens, veteran lock Alun Wyn Jones and fly-half Dan Biggar.
Saturday's hosts are in a different situation with Galthie's squad averaging at 26 years old with 26 caps, a decade and 10 Tests fewer than the former scrum-half hoped for after taking over in December 2019.
The fixture will mark Les Bleus' final home competitive game before welcoming New Zealand on September 8's opening game of the World Cup.
They can retain the Championship with a bonus point victory and hope Ireland lose by more than seven points to England later in the day.