French revolution has all the hallmarks of being made in Wigan
Shaun Edwards’ influence on resurgent France is plain to see as they march towards a Grand Slam
Shaun Edwards has a habit of inspiring totemic performances in Cardiff. Back in 2013, Wales suffocated England and obliterated their Grand Slam bid at the final hurdle. Two years later, Luke Charteris amassed 31 tackles as Ireland were beaten.
This time, Edwards was in the blue corner, which must have felt peculiar after over a decade in the red one, and it was his France team attempting to brave a fervent atmosphere and crash the party. They did so, quite brilliantly.
During the warm-ups, Edwards stabbed grubbers to prepare full-back Anthony Bouthier. He oversaw the team run-throughs, barking instructions. If he looked across towards the Wales half, the 53-yearold would have seen Sam Warburton and Byron Hayward fulfilling a similar function. It feels symbolic that Wayne Pivac has effectively split one job and employed two defence coaches to succeed Edwards.
One of the last exercises that France did before heading back to the changing rooms was a one-on-one breakdown drill, carried out with Edwards gesticulating furiously to negotiate the language barrier. Within 40 seconds, Grégory Alldritt had plundered a jackal turnover.
Leigh Halfpenny’s shuttling, backfield coverage was a hallmark of Warren Gatland’s tenure. Seven minutes into the game, though, he spilt a high ball hoisted by Romain Ntamack. Bouthier followed up, gratefully gathering the scraps for a maiden international try.
Prior to this Six Nations, Edwards appointed Gael Fickou as his defensive captain. Such faith was repaid in the tournament-opener. Fickou’s shift from inside centre to wing for this game might have been an indication of how Edwards may have to bite his tongue in selection meetings. Then again, 20-year-old Arthur Vincent settled the nerves with a clattering hit on Dan Biggar in midfield.
The solo raids of Gareth Davies became another bespoke feature of Wales’ system under Edwards.
Here, it was another scrum-half adopting a free role, granted a licence to read their opponents’ attacking patterns and shoot up to cause havoc. Before the first quarter had elapsed, live-wire Antoine Dupont slid past decoy runners to nail Halfpenny.
Other members of Fabien Galthié’s backroom team are influencing this resurgence. Attack coach Laurent Labit has Les Bleus cutting fine angles.
Line-out guru Karim Ghezal would have been the mastermind behind a set-piece move that sent Paul Willemse over for their second try.
Of course, Edwards might have predicted that Wales would post wing
Johnny McNicholl in the five-metre channel. A mismatch in size was exploited ruthlessly.
Galthie deployed a skeleton of Edwards’ system during the Rugby World Cup in Japan. It comprises an aggressive front line of 13 men with a remit to harass and harry. Twin kickers, usually the fly-half alongside the full-back, hang deeper.
Upon his arrival, the man himself has added a tangible sense of emotional investment. France, usually fielding a team of dynamic, hefty athletes, have been tough to break down for a good while. Now, they exude desperation when they are without the ball.
Teddy Thomas epitomised as much. With the best will in the world, the Racing 92 wing has not always looked as though he relishes defence. In the first half alone, Thomas snaffled an interception, smashed into a few counter-rucks and registered a couple of important cover-tackles.
Intelligent man-management is one of Edwards’ chief strengths and he has certainly stirred this young France side. If anything, the visitors might have been too riled-up, conceding a spate of penalties as they continually crept beyond the try-line and fired into breakdowns without keeping their balance.
Alldritt eventually paid the price in the midst of an epic stand on the stroke of half-time – the sort of manic passage that used to swing momentum and define games in the Gatland era.
The superb back-rower smothered one too many Welsh rucks for referee Matthew Carley, who brandished a yellow card. France, however, survived until the break. Hooker Julien Marchand, ferocious flanker Francois Cros and lock Bernard Le Roux appeared insatiable in their appetite for graft. Dupont snapped at the heels of Davies and eventually the barrage subsided.
The question was always going to be whether France, having faded slightly against England and Italy, could maintain their phenomenal effort. When Dillon Lewis burrowed over to haul Wales to within a point at 17-16 behind, most of the stadium thought not. Ntamack’s opportunism paused that thought. Converts from rugby league, such as Edwards and Andy Farrell, speak of defence so destructive that it scores tries. In the 52nd minute, Wales outflanked France. However, Ntamack stole up from his sweeping position. He pilfered a pass from Nick Tompkins and skated in from 55 metres.
Willemse was fortunate to avoid another sin-binning upon apparently disguising a tackle as a slap-down in the final quarter. France were swiftly reduced to 14 in any case, tighthead prop Mohamed Haouas punished for multiple scrummaging offences.
Biggar did breach the blue wall with a spearing finish. France had five minutes to hang on, then 90 seconds after Baptiste Serin’s kick skipped into touch.
Tompkins sliced through, but Camille Chat raced to the rescue. The replacement clamped on and referee Carley obliged, awarding a penalty.
Another win in Wales, yet made in Wigan – and this one for France.