Preview: Wales v France

So here we are! The final game of the Six Nations and the trophy is still up for grabs. Say what you will about this quirky old tournament, but the scripting never fails to impress.

So here we are! The final game of the Six Nations and the trophy is still up for grabs. Say what you will about this quirky old tournament, but the scripting never fails to impress.

Saturday's showdown in Cardiff has all the makings of a Hollywood blockbuster. Imagine a wouuuurld [insert gravelly movie trailer voice here] where a bedraggled team of misfits can race back from the very edge of doom to the cusp of glorious redemption. Only one thing can stop them now. Armed with a licence to thrill, the French are out to ruin the party – and confirm the dawn of a bright blue era.

And all this before we consider the sub-plots: the arrival of Warren Gatland in Cardiff; Shaun Edwards's escape from England; Marc Lièvremont's seemingly laissez-faire attitude to selection; that Welsh win over England; that French loss to the English…

And all that before what we face on Saturday – beware the Ides of March!

Wales will claim their tenth Grand Slam title – exactly 100 years since their first – if they manage to avoid a 20-point defeat, but the visitors could still snatch the championship if they win by 19 points and score more tries than the locals.

What's more, France are seeking to become the first team to win three successive titles outright – an almost incredible statistic that has been lost amid the chatter of a red clean sweep.

Wales's transformation under Gatland, appointed after Gareth Jenkins was sacked following last year's World Cup in which Wales failed to reach the knockout phase, has been remarkable.

The task facing Gatland appeared to be underlined when his new charges trailed 19-9 with just over 20 minutes to play of their opening match against England.

But a remarkable fightback to win 26-19, their first success at Twickenham since 1988, proved the catalyst for follow-up wins over Scotland, Italy and Ireland as Wales re-discovered their potent attacking game.

Gatland, who has changed his winning side in every match and has done so again – fly-half James Hook and hooker Huw Bennett starting in place of Stephen Jones and Matthew Rees – is determined to finish the campaign on a high.

“It will be nice if we can take the championship, but we'd like to be doing it with a win over France. To win on points difference would be something of a hollow victory,” Gatland told Reuters.

The decibel level created by 70,000 frenzied Welsh supporters in the Millennium Stadium is unlikely to faze the French, who have enjoyed their recent visits.

Most recently in October, France stunned the All Blacks with a superb comeback in their World Cup quarter-final – the high spot of a disappointing campaign – and they have beaten the Welsh on their five previous trips to Cardiff.

After fielding experimental sides throughout the tournament, Lièvremont has recalled a host of experienced players.

Scrum-half Jean-Baptiste Elissalde, fly-half David Skrela and fullback Cédric Heymans return, as well as hooker William Servat, flank Thierry Dusautoir and number eight Elvis Vermeulen.

“We'll first aim at competing with the Welsh and at playing our game and then we'll think about those 20 points,” said Lièvremont.

“It's a shame we didn't score three or four more tries in our previous games. We could have been in a position to vie for the title with a smaller deficit.”

But, as things stand, this is how Saturday breaks down:

* If Wales beat France, they win the Grand Slam for the second time in four years, and the 10th time in their history.

* France must beat Wales by at least 20 points to win the Six Nations title.

* If Wales lose to France by 18 points or fewer they would still be crowned Six Nations champions.

* If Wales lose to France by 19 points, the two teams would be level on points difference and the title would go to the team with the most tries in the tournament. Currently, Wales and France have both scored 11.

* If Wales lose by 19 points and the tries scored tally is equal then the title will be shared.

Players to watch:

For Wales: Warren Gatland's place in Welsh hearts is already assured, but his decision to field James Hook ahead of Stephen Jones for the tournament decider could blow up in his face. The New Zealander believes the precocious Ospreys star will offer more on attack than the wily Scarlets talisman, and the switch is a clear sign that Wales intend to take on France at their own game. It's great for rugby – a victory of romance over pragmatism – but fighting fire with fire tends to leave one with burnt fingers. The water is on the bench in the shape of Jones, but Hook will be determined to prove he has a slide rule to match his magic wand.

For France: With push coming to shove, Marc Li̬vremont has opted to side with experience over youth Рbut there are some notable exceptions. Fabien Barcella remains in the XV after weathering the storm that is Martin Castrogiovanni, industrious Fulgence Ouedraogo seems to have nailed down a place in one of the world's most competitive back-rows, and Anthony Floch looks like the real deal at full-back: keeping C̩dric Heymans out of a side is no mean feat. But how will the youngsters cope under the gaze of 70,000 baying Welshmen?

Head to head: Shane Williams (Wales) v Vincent Clerc (France): The clash between the two electric wings is more of a dance-off than a head-to-head! The diminutive duo have stuck two – well, four – fingers up to those who reckon big means better out wide, and they've done it in such emphatic style: their showdown on Saturday could also determine the Man of the Tournament. Williams might be in the driving seat for that gong: he needs just one more touchdown to overtake Gareth Thomas's mark of 40 as Wales's all-time leading try scorer.

Recent results:

2007: France won 34-7 at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
2007: France won 32-21 at Stade de France, Paris
2006: France won 21-16 at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
2005: Wales won 24-18 at Stade de France, Paris
2004: France won 29-22 at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
2003: France won 33-5 at Stade de France, Paris
2002: France won 37-33 at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
2001: Wales won 43-35 at Stade de France, Paris
2000: France won 36-3 at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
1999: Wales won 34-23 at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
1999: Wales won 34-33 at Stade de France, Paris
1998: France won 51-0 at Wembley Stadium, London

Prediction: Considering where they were just six months ago, it's hard to believe where Wales find themselves now. Are Warren Gatland and Shaun Edwards really that good? Perhaps their troops have yet to be tested to the full. England beat themselves, Scotland offered little, Italy imploded and Ireland were as flat as their one-dimensional gameplan. France love