Roberts: Get set for a fall, Guy
WALeS centre Jamie Roberts is plotting to cut short France and england’s honeymoon period by ending their winning starts under Guy noves and eddie Jones.
Both new coaches have won their opening RBS 6 nations tests, setting up a two-horse race for the Grand Slam after Wales, Ireland, Scotland and Italy all dropped points.
While noves and Jones are still settling in, Warren Gatland will celebrate his 10-year anniversary with Wales in 2017 and his settled squad could move top tomorrow with a victory over France.
‘It’s a bit of a honeymoon period with France’s new coach, as it probably is with england at the moment,’ said Roberts. ‘We experienced it in 2008 with Warren Gatland coming in.
‘We need to be at our best to beat those two. Friday night has all the ingredients to be a classic.’
It is unlikely to be a showcase of French flair, however, against a watertight Welsh defence who are yet to concede a try.
Instead, France’s top 14 competition is becoming a war of attrition, founded upon the set-piece and physical forwards weighing in above 20 stones.
‘everyone talks about French flair and asks where has it gone,’ said Gatland. ‘In the past they had absolute world- class players on attack. It’s not that they haven’t got the players any more — it’s that teams are so defensively organised and there is no space on the field.
‘that’s what has happened to the game. In the past, they have gone out with the attitude of ‘joue,
joue’ and ‘let’s play’. For teams like us, that’s just happy days. We love that sort of thing. If you play like that against us, it’s just so easy to shut down.’
It is not just France who have been criticised for their lack of flair, the entire northern Hemisphere game is under fire for a shortage of entertainment.
Gatland feels one solution would be scrapping tactical substitutions, which were introduced in 1996, and returning to a format where only injured players could be replaced.
‘It’s a concern for the game that 130-140kg (20-22 stone) players are being conditioned for the last 15-20 minutes,’ said Gatland. ‘ In the old days if they were starting, after 40-50 minutes they were gone.
‘that opens up the space we are all craving. Breaks at the moment are made by someone missing a tackle or a system error.
‘Where’s the flair gone? It’s the worst Six nations that has ever been, for all of us, if I am to believe what I have read.
‘We are all trying to be innovative to create space. But the more you try to be creative in attack, the better teams become defensively.’
Wales hope to break down France with their fitness in the final quarter at the Principality Stadium, with Gatland naming a bench that can make a late impact. Sam Warburton has been restored to the no 7 jersey with the instruction to be a nuisance at the breakdown, allowing the attacking skills of Justin tipuric to be unloaded later on in the game.
‘We have spoken to Justin about the game potentially loosening up in the last 25-30 minutes,’ said Gatland. ‘that is a chance for him to express himself a bit more than he has had the chance to do in the first couple of games.
‘It’s been tough for the two guys on the flank, with Sam playing at six and being a little bit out of position.’
Blindside flanker Dan Lydiate will complete the back row, having struggled with injury problems so far this year.
Meanwhile, Stade Francais winger Djibril Camara will make his first start for France, as one of five changes in the team which they announced last night.