The clean sweep pulled off in Cardiff (54-12) and England’s defeat at Murrayfield (31-20) have caused an earthquake at the top of the pecking order. According to the latest figures from World Rugby, France climb to third in the world, going past England. Above all, Fabien Galthié’s men once again become the number one nation on the Old Continent, a first in almost four years.

The return of the “king” of Europe

You have to go back to the summer of 2022 to find any trace of French dominance in Europe. Back then, carried by a Grand Slam and a winning tour of Japan, France had even sat top of the world rankings for a week. Since then, Andy Farrell’s Ireland had taken the continental leadership for themselves. By seeing off Ireland in their Six Nations opener, then tending to their points difference in Wales, France confirm their return to the front rank and their post-2023 rebuild.

Wales in the depths

While France are once again eyeing the South Africa / New Zealand duo, Wales are sinking into a historic crisis. That record home defeat sends Wales tumbling towards the lower reaches of the world top 10. The contrast is striking between a France side on the rise and a Wales side posting their worst record in decades.

Target: lock in the status

Now on the podium, the challenge for Charles Ollivon and his team-mates is to make that position their own. With two home games to come (Italy and England), France hold all the cards to finish the Six Nations in charge. A final home “Crunch” that could even allow them to put pressure on the All Blacks (2nd) in the rankings.