But can Wales Paris cauldron?
“Roland Bertanne in the French centre had played about 30 games and Ray and I were getting our first caps,” Fenwick recalls in Nobody Beats Us, David Tossell’s excellent account of the Wales rugby team in the 1970s.
“Over all the noise before kick-off I heard one voice.
“It was Bertanne. ‘Hey Fenwick. Me...swoosh (Makes swerving motion with his hand.)
“My a**e was going, but I went: ‘Me…smack.” (Punches his palm.)
Fenwick went on to score a try within five minutes as Wales ran out 25-10 winners.
How Howley would relish such a result this weekend.
France in 2017 are dangerous behind, with scrum-half Baptiste Serin a gem of a player.
At 5ft 11st and 11st 13lb, he is unusually slight for an international rugby player, but what he lacks in power he makes up for with quick thinking and clever skills.
Les Bleus also have quality runners in Brice Dulin, Virimi Vakatawa, Noa Nakaitaci and Gael Fickou, while they have a powerful scrum and back-rowers Louis Picamoles and Kevin Gourdon have been outstanding.
But would Howley swap the likes of Sam Warburton, Justin Tipuric and Alun Wyn Jones for their French counterparts?
Those three can be relied on and Ken Owens has joined them in this championship, while Rhys Webb and Liam Williams are high-calibre game-breakers.
It isn’t mission impossible for Wales, but a French side showing signs of reviving will give them a searching test.
How the visiting players respond in the Paris cauldron will tell us much about them, and about their coach’s selection.