France seek better fortune against winless Wales
CARDIFF, United Kingdom:
Misfiring France may have limped through their opening three Six Nations matches, but coach Fabien Galthie insists better performances will come, starting against winless Wales on Sunday.
France went into last year’s Rugby World Cup as hot favourites on home soil. But a quarter-final exit at the hands of eventual winners South Africa dashed the hopes of Galthie’s squad and the wider nation. Come the Six Nations and the hangover from that loss was seemingly evident.
France, missing skipper Antoine Dupont on sevens duty ahead of this summer’s Paris Olympics, suffered an opening 38-17 defeat by Ireland before edging Scotland 20-16 and then drawing 13-all with Italy.
“The results are not what we wanted, wished for. We will be better soon,” said Galthie.
He said his squad had to “take responsibility over the good and bad moments.
“The passion we have is even stronger now. When it works well, very well or perfect it’s good, but now we’re not where we want to be.”
Galthie made eight changes to the team to face what he predicted would be a “young, brave Welsh team” in a bid to make it five successive Six Nations wins over Wales.
The alterations are the most Galthie has made from one Six Nations game to another since taking over in late 2019.
Full-back Leo Barre, centre Nicolas Depoortere and lock Emmanuel Meafou will make their Test bows in Cardiff with winger Louis BielleBiarrey, scrum-half Nolann Le Garrec, No 8 Gregory Alldritt, second row Thibaud Flament and hooker Julien Marchand the other changes.
Galthie was forced into three changes with centre Jonathan Danty suspended, fly-half Matthieu Jalibert injured and lock Posolo Tuilagi sidelined with a fitness issue.
Wales coach Warren Gatland, who has seen his side go down to three straight losses to Scotland (27-26), England (16-14) and Ireland (31-7), handed midfield starts to Joe Roberts and Owen Watkin in place of George North and Nick Tompkins.
Captain Dafydd Jenkins switches from lock to blindside flanker, with Will Rowlands called up as Adam Beard’s second-row partner, while hooker Ryan Elias replaces Elliot Dee.
“We need to win and that’s what Test match rugby is all about,” the New Zealander said. “We desperately want to win. We feel we’ve been going OK. We want to try and put a complete performance together.”