Wales final fixture of the Six Nations 2023 was one I was approaching with more of a ‘make the most of it’ experience rather than anticipating a big result from the Welsh pack. As this was my first trip to Paris, I was looking forward to exploring the sites and digging into some Parisian food.

On both accounts, I was very impressed.

From arriving at London St Pancras in time for breakfast on Thursday 16th March, we quickly noticed our eager group of Welsh fans ready to cross the channel over to the City of Lights. Once aboard the Eurostar with our 3 Night Tour travellers the conversation quickly came round to the Wales v France fixture, and bets for what the score will be. A casual game of ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire’ card game increased the group moral, and it was lovely to get to know some of our clients before we arrived at Paris Gard du Nord.

The arrival at Paris went very smoothly, the coaches transferred the guests to their hotels, and many clients had exciting plans for the evening like the Moulin Rouge or a river dinner cruise. I was staying at the Mercure Tour Eiffel which was a stone’s throw from the Eiffel Tower, as the coach heads in the direction of the hotel it felt like you were going to drive underneath the landmark which was very exciting.

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On Friday morning we greeted our 2 night Tour guests at the Gare Du Nord, with Paris treating us to some balmy weather which was a nice contrast to the British drizzle.

After dropping them to their hotels, I spent the next couple of days helping on The Gullivers helpdesks which were a great way to hear about the client’s city adventures, passing out Gullivers merchandise and match tickets.

I was very excited for the Gullivers Clubhouse event on Friday evening. Based at Le Rugby Club, the venue was perfect for getting deep into some rugby chat and having a drink or two. We had two guest speakers, Rhys Davies and Rhys Carre, both members of the Welsh Squad. The Q&A went really well, it was lovely to hear about the squad celebrations happening for Taulupe Faletau’s 100th cap. The anticipation for the upcoming Rugby World Cup was also high on the list of discussion. It was a wonderful evening all round and a great way to socialise more with the clients and meet the players.

Saturday was match day. After the morning helpdesk at the hotel, it was time to get some proper exploring of Paris in. Me, Chris, and Ollie picked up a trip of Lime Scooters at the Eiffel Tower and started our tour of the city. We zoomed around in the sunshine visiting the Notre-Dame, Louvre Museum, Arc de Triomphe, and any other impressive looking building we happened to pass. It was a wonderful experience and the best way to explore the city.

We then headed toward the Stade de France ready for the big fixture. The Stade de France is in the outskirts of Paris but is very easy to access via the metro system. As you can imagine on match day it was like a game of sardines, but as the stream of people poured out of the metro towards the stadium, the excitement grew. The Stade de France was surprisingly easy to navigate, and we reached our seats in time for the pre-match entertainment and national anthems. The fixture started with a very thrilling try from George North which gave us Wales fans some false hope. France then proved dominant for the remainder of the first half. The score at half time was 20-7 to France. A quick try from France at the start of the second half felt like we were in for a hammering, and we settled in for a further 40 minutes of tough supporting. However, the Welsh pack surprised us with a very strong comeback, which really lifted hopes and had us chanting through the stadium. The final score was 41-28 to France, although the performance in the second half made it feel like a little victory!

It was lovely to see our clients again on Sunday morning as we transferred them back to the Gard du Nord for their journey back to the UK. There was lots of chat about the fixture and the glimmer of hope that the Welsh squad gave us. After some smiley goodbyes the clients were on their way back to London and the Gullivers team on the ground celebrated a successful weekend. I hope all our clients enjoyed their time in Paris as much as I did, and I look forward to heading back for the Rugby World Cup!

- Sally Jakeman, Operations Assistant 

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