In search of his first Six Nations Tournament in eleven years, the XV of France risks falling on a leek.
On Saturday March 20, the Blues will have to win and win as widely as possible against Wales to keep their chances of winning the trophy intact after their narrow defeat against England.
The road to it therefore passes through a victory against a XV du Leek who also aims for the final victory, then a repeat on March 26 in the postponed match against Scotland.
🇫🇷🏴 𝐋𝐞 𝐗𝐕 𝐝𝐞 𝐝𝐞́𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭!
Here are the 23 players selected for the match against Wales at @StadeFrance on Saturday evening at 9pm!
Come on the Blues! #NeFaisonsXV #XVdeFrance #FRAGAL pic.twitter.com/kzHtdHfJTD
- France Rugby (@FranceRugby) March 18, 2021
"We know that we do not have too much leeway. So we will already have to play a great game and try to take as many points as possible", summarized the left pillar Cyril Baille, who does not want to engage in apothecary stones.
Yet the equation is simple: ideally, France should win with the offensive bonus, while depriving the Welsh of any bonus.
Translation for non-fans of oval: register at least four tries without conceding more than three and win at least seven points.
It is a "first final", according to the coach of the French forwards, the former hooker William Servat, member of the "Grand Slam" troop eleven years ago.
Wales strong and confident
Already holder of the Triple Crown - an honorary title awarded to a team from the British Isles having defeated the other three - the XV du Poireau arrives at the Stade de France in full confidence.
Wales will come to try to conquer the thirteenth grand slam in its history after successively beating Ireland (21-16), Scotland (24-25), England (40-24) and Italy ( 7-48).
"We have shown great continuity in the selection and we are proving it again with this one," said manager Wayne Pivac.
"We are going to have a huge challenge against a very good team from France. We know that we have to take a step forward compared to our previous productions."
𝗫𝗩 𝗖𝗬𝗠𝗥𝗨: Our team for #FRAvWAL ⠀
⁍ Adam Beard returns in the second row
⁍ 𝘛𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘴 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘮𝘴 𝘯𝘰̂𝘭 𝘢𝘤 𝘢𝘳 𝘺 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘤
🏴 #HWFN ⑊ #GuinnessSixNations ⠀
- Welsh Rugby Union 🏉 (@WelshRugbyUnion) March 18, 2021
To tackle the French challenge, the coach always relies on his very experienced team around the indestructible second row Alun Wyn Jones who, at 35, will further improve the world record for selections with a 148th cape.
The Welsh XV scheduled for the Stade de France has 987 selections, an average of nearly 66 per player - more than the most capped of the French holders.
He made the choice of continuity with only one change in the starting XV compared to the one who crushed Italy: in the second row, Adam Beard will take the place of Cory Hill, who will be a replacement.
To experience, Fabien Galthié opposes the ardor of French youth (25 years old and 21 selections on average) which has impressed since the start of the Tournament.
Even during the defeat at Twickenham, the tricolor XV was able to shine, including a magnificent test in first hand on a combination completed by Antoine Dupont in the in-goal.
The coach has also renewed the same starting XV, renewing his confidence in the opener Matthieu Jalibert, again preferred to Romain Ntamack.
What a start to a meeting!
Antoine Dupont scored a superb try for the Blues after only one minute of play!
7-0 for the XV of France!
🇫🇷
▶ Follow the match live: https://t.co/kVwQAH8rYe#ENGvFRA #SixNations pic.twitter.com/NidS8YMk9U
- France tv sport (@francetvsport) March 13, 2021
Dragons on fire
And outclass the Welsh, the Blues have already done it: eliminated in the quarter-finals of the 2019 World Cup in Japan by Wales, France has since not lost to this opponent, with success (27-23 ) in Cardiff in February then a demonstration (38-21) in October at home.
However, other times, other customs.
The Welsh selection was then going through a very bad patch.
She ended the year 2020 with seven defeats in ten matches on the clock and an infamous penultimate place in the Tournament, unworthy of her rank.
In 2021, the Red Dragons are in full resurrection and their coach Wayne Pivac, after a difficult first year in office, has silenced the critics.
Today, beating the Welsh, by the criteria set out earlier, looks like a feat in the numbers.
Because the men in red have registered at least four tries and have conceded less than two on average since the start of the Tournament.
And they remain on three improved successes, including one of magnitude in Cardiff against England (40-24).
For France-Wales, the Blues will therefore have to find a way to tame the red Dragons on fire.
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