The XV of France receives Wales for the last day of the Six Nations Tournament on Saturday.
A last meeting on the stage of the Tournament. The XV of France welcomes Wales to the lawn of the Stade de France, Saturday March 18 (3:45 p.m., on France 2 and france.tv), for the final day of the Six Nations Tournament. Dazzling winners in England, the French want to conclude the final sprint in style against an opponent who seems within their reach (5th, three defeats for a single victory).
Not having too much head in Dublin
The Blues are not yet ready to give up their trophy. The XV of France is the last team that can still play the title against Ireland, undefeated. With four points behind the XV of Clover, the Blues must imperatively win to continue to believe in the final victory, and count on a misstep from Ireland which receives England (kick-off at 6 p.m.) .
But they will first have to fulfill their part of the contract before hoping that the XV de la Rose, yet at their lowest, will do them a favor, a week after being humiliated by these same French people. “We are all aware of what we have to do to take first place for a few hours, or more as we hope”assured the third row Grégory Alldritt to the press on Wednesday.
Will the returnees blend into the mould?
A week after the historic victory in England, the XV of France is awaited at the turn by its fans and its public. On the lawn of Twickenham, they found the game and the fundamentals which had led them to the Grand Slam in 2022. Impeccable on the ground as on the foot, they delivered their first complete performance of the competition. A successful copy on which the Blues want to capitalize.
Faced with an opponent in crisis, and in difficulty in many areas of play, the Habs have the ability to strike hard and fast. “The goal is to bring back the same intensity, to play just like we did at Twickenham.”promised Grégory Alldritt.
They will also benefit from the return of Uini Atonio, on the right of the first line, after three weeks of suspension and the entry of Romain Taofifenua, who replaces Paul Willemse, injured. The first named will have to make forget Dorian Aldegheri, very good against England and also affected, while the second will have to pair with Thibaud Flament in the alignment. The ability of these two newcomers to integrate into a perfectly oiled XV will also depend on the overall performance of the Blues.
The Welsh rely on experience
The coach of the Dragons, Warren Gatland, has chosen to trust a very experienced team. His fifteen who will start the match on the lawn of the Stade de France is approaching 1,000 cumulative selections (997). Gatland has reinstated several of its captains, such as Alun Wyn Jones (157 caps) and Dan Biggar (106 caps), dismissed during the match against Italy.
Facing the Blues, Taulupe Faletau will celebrate his 100th international cap, a total that none of Galthié’s players has reached. “It’s a team made up of players who have succeeded, for some, three times the Grand Slam, and won five tournaments”commented the tricolor coach on the sidelines of the announcement of the composition of his team, which has accumulated just over 500 selections (527).
Rhys Webb, Leek’s X Factor
He had not started a match in the Six Nations Tournament for six years, a small eternity in a career. Propelled again at 34 by Warren Gatland, scrum half Rhys Webb has guided his teammates in the victory against Italy. Omnipresent, author of quick releases and millimeter raises, he also excelled at the foot, as on the first Welsh try.
“I found him to be excellent in his choices, in the way he controlled the game and played well on foot.”had praised his coach after his performance against Italy. So much so that he decided to entrust him again with the keys to the game against the Blues on Saturday. His duel from a distance with Antoine Dupont will be worth a look.