Key occasions
16 minutes. Uini Atonio knocks on within the French 22, and it takes some time to get the scrum accomplished. Wales seems like they’ve accomplished a superb job of wheeling it barely to get an good angle of assault, however Atonio places Wyn Jones beneath huge strain to power a collapse penalty.
13 minutes. Wales don’t enable that shattering response from the house facet to knock them off their respectable begin as they as soon as extra work some nicely drilled phases to achieve some floor. Webb places a stunning angled kick into contact within the France 22 and Gatland’s males may have the ball again from the French exit kick.
TRY! France 7 – 7 Wales (George North)
10 minutes. Ntamack drifts throughout the road and steps round Tompkins and into house. He finds Dupont (who else?) in help within the 22 and the little man seems proper and flings a missile of a move out to Penaud on the touchline to attain.
Ramos provides the 2.
TRY! France 0 – 7 Wales (George North)
7 minutes. From the lineout, Wales can’t get a maul going however they’re once more working phases at tempo as much as the road which have France defending like demons, and inevitably they’re offside once more, and Biggar as soon as extra goes to the nook. The catch and drive from the lineout splinters France who infringe for the fifth time within the opening minutes, and because the benefit is being paid, North takes benefit of the confusion to run by means of a niche and beneath the posts.
Biggar converts.
5 minutes. Wales are sturdy once more on the drop-out return, with plenty of dynamic carries from pick-and-gos across the ruck, plus shifting the ball round with brief pop passes and making the French work. They’re up into the 22 once more and Les Bleus are offside as soon as extra, however Biggar spurns the posts and places in within the nook.
3 minutes. France exit with little fuss and that permits Rees-Zammit to have a run on the kick return. There follows some respectable phases from Wales, with Wyn Jones and Faletau carrying nicely and forcing the French defence offside. From the lineout Wales drive over, however they’re held up and Ntamack should drop out from beneath his posts.
Shiny opening jiffy for the guests.
Kick Off!
Dan Biggar has the ball in his mitts and as Ref Nick Berry blasts his whistle, the Welsh 10 boots the ball deep into French territory.
Taulupe Faletau is main the Wales workforce out on the event of the 1ooth cap and what a participant he has been over the previous decade, by no means wanting world class.
The groups are on their manner out, and the Wales followers are beginning to provide their constructive ideas.
Pre Match Studying
Our man, Michael Aylwin, will not be holding out a lot hope for Wales immediately, learn all about it right here..
Humorous sport this in the event you’re a Wales fan, what are you hoping to get from it? Let me know this and the rest on the e-mail or through tweet @bloodandmud
Groups
A workforce that wins by 43 factors at Twickenham shouldn’t want a substantial amount of tinkering; a sentiment Fabien Galthie agrees with as he makes simply two adjustments to the facet that walloped England final week. Uini Atonio is again from his ban to start out at tight-head and Romain Taofifenua is in for Paul Willemse.
Warren Gatland is taking very totally different method, as he has the entire match. The altering of the workforce every week makes one suppose his choice technique is to throw 40 names right into a lottery machine and see which 23 will get fired out of the chute first. Six adjustments this week has Alun-Wyn Jones again at lock, and return to the flank for Aaron Wainwright within the forwards. Within the backs, Louis Rees-Zammit returns, however as fullback substitute for the crocked Liam Williams, George North and Nick Tompkins reunite within the centres, and Dan Biggar is again as aggromeister-in-chief at 10.
France: Thomas Ramos; Damian Penaud, Gael Fickou, Jonathan Danty, Ethan Dumortier; Romain Ntamack, Antoine Dupont (c); Cyril Baille, Julien Marchand, Uini Atonio, Thibaud Flament, Romain Taofifenua, Francios Cros, Charles Ollivon, Gregory Alldritt.
Replacements: Peato Mauvaka, Reda Wardi, Sipili Falatea, Bastien Chalureau, Sekou Macalou, Maxime Lucu, Yoram Moefana, Melvyn Jaminet
Wales: Louis Rees-Zammit, Josh Adams, George North, Nick Tompkins, Rio Dyer; Dan Biggar, Rhys Webb; Wyn Jones, Ken Owens (captain), Tomas Francis, Adam Beard, Alun Wyn Jones, Aaron Wainwright, Justin Tipuric, Taulupe Faletau
Replacements: Bradley Roberts, Gareth Thomas, Dillion Lewis, Dafydd Jenkins, Tommy Reffell, Tomos Williams, Owen Williams, Leigh Halfpenny
Preamble
Welcome to Act II of Tremendous Saturday, the half the place issues begin to get a bit attention-grabbing relating to the result of the Championship. To attempt to maintain this so simple as potential, if Eire win later, they clearly win the entire present, Grand Slam and all; but when Andy Farrell’s males lose and not using a bonus level, then it’s time to get your calculator and a number of outcomes diagrams out.
If France declare victory with a bonus level – which after final week seems a really doubtless end result – they may win the match (reminder, provided that Eire lose and not using a bonus level). If France win immediately and not using a bonus level, they should higher Eire’s factors distinction, which is present 20 higher than Les Bleus’. Nonetheless with me? No? Good..
All of these mind-fogging permutations apart, the ask for France is an easy one: win by as many factors as you’ll be able to muster then hope for a kind reversing miracle in Dublin.
Many individuals questioned whether or not introducing bonus factors to the Six Nations was a good suggestion, however they’ll make the final day a bit of extra attention-grabbing. The draw back is that I’ve needed to kind “bonus level” in a match preamble excess of anybody would love, together with myself.
