Watkin a new centre of attention, but French power the main factor
IT WAS another difficult weekend for Wales who slipped to a 45-24 defeat to France in Cardiff which leaves Warren Gatland’s side winless in this year’s Six Nations.
Despite the margin of victory, Wales led on 65 minutes before the power of a gigantic France pack, coupled with the class of Damian Penaud and Louis Bielle-Biarrey out wide, secured victory for the visitors.
While the narrative has centred around building for the future. Wales face the prospect of a first Six Nations Wooden Spoon since 2003.
Rugby correspondent Steffan Thomas picks his winners and losers from another chastening afternoon for Wales at the Principality Stadium.
WINNERS Dafydd Jenkins and Will Rowlands Wales lost the physical battle by a country mile but Jenkins and Rowlands were a class above most of their team-mates.
Rowlands had missed the start of the Six Nations due to his wife giving birth, and he has been sorely missed.
And Wales captain Jenkins, starting his first ever professional game at blindside flanker, was very good. The Exeter Chiefs star disrupted the French line-out and topped the tackle charts with 26.
Both Rowlands and Jenkins were two Welsh players who didn’t take a backwards step throughout, and Wales will need both to be at their best if they are to beat Italy and avoid a Wooden Spoon next weekend.
Owen Watkin and Rio Dyer
The Ospreys centre had already won 37 caps before kick-off, but this was the 27-year-old’s best performance in a Wales jersey.
Watkin is a nuts-and-bolts centre who has never let Wales down, but his attacking game was a lot better against France.
He was as defensively solid as ever, while he sliced through the France defence from a move he had called to put Tomos Williams clear for Wales’ second try.
Ahead of the game Gatland had spoken of the need for his centres to be more vocal on the field, which is something which was notable from Watkin.
Dragons speedster Dyer has developed into a top-class wing and was extremely prominent on Sunday, scoring an excellent first-half try.
French power
There are many rugby fans who associate France with free-flowing rugby and high-risk offloads, and while they are capable of playing that way – make no bones about it – their success is based on raw power and size.
The pack France fielded against Wales was absolutely enormous even by today’s standards where bigger is often better.
Watching the game metres from the field in the press box, the sight of the 6ft 8in and 22st 12lb Emmanuel Meafou smashing into the home pack was enough to send a shudder down Welsh spines.
The likes of Meafou, giant tighthead Uini Atonio, Julien Marchand and Charles Ollivon were relentless as they battered Wales into submission.
To Wales’ credit they fought hard and put their bodies on the line.
But in the end, size and power told.
Damian Penaud, Nolann Le Garrec
and Louis Bielle-Biarrey
The French pack won this game but the backs decided the margin of victory.
Bordeaux wing Penaud was a constant menace as he tormented Wales out wide. Whenever France got the ball wide to Penaud he caused havoc with his explosive pace and power putting his side on the front foot.
Bielle-Biarrey was equally as dangerous and whenever the French wings were put into space they had the Wales defence scrambling as if their lives depended on it.
But perhaps the most pleasing performance from a French perspective was that of 21-year-old Racing 92 scrum-half Nolann Le Garrec.
It’s been well documented how much Les Bleus have struggled without their inspirational No. 9 Antoine Dupont, who is on a sabbatical with the France Sevens side, but Le Garrec was outstanding in Cardiff, winning the official player-of-the-match award.
LOSERS
The Wales scrum
It was always going to be a long afternoon for the Wales front row considering the size of the France pack, and the visitors really hammered home their advantage.
France sent Wales backwards at a rate of knots in the scrum at times, and even though Dillon Lewis did his best to solidify the home setpiece, this was an area of the game Fabien Galthie’s side won hands down.
Wales’ starting tighthead Keiron Assiratti began the Six Nations well but has been taught a brutal lesson by both Andrew Porter and Cyril Baille over the last two Test matches.
Forwards coach Jonathan Humphreys needs to find answers quickly because Italy are also strong in this area, and their loosehead prop Danilo Fischetti is among the best scrummagers in Europe.
Wales’ game management Throughout the course of the Six Nations, Wales’ game management hasn’t been where it needs to be.
In the main that is down to the fact they have lost so much experience since the Rugby World Cup, while the likes of Cameron Winnett and Sam Costelow are still getting to grips with the demands of Test rugby.
Wales are just not nailing key moments, and sometimes their decision-making under pressure has let them down.
This has cost them at least a couple of victories over the course of the championship.
Rewind the clock a couple of years and Wales had a core of experienced leaders such as Dan Biggar, Alun Wyn Jones, Justin Tipuric and Ken Owens.
These players knew how to win Test matches, but a large chunk of this current squad are still finding their feet.
The hope is they will improve in time, but Wales need to get it right against Italy this weekend.
Welsh Rugby Union
The current state of the game has been years in the making. When Wales were winning Six Nations Grand Slams under Gatland many people warned the governing body their top-heavy approach would come back to bite them on the backside. And they have been proven right.
For years the professional game below the men’s national side hasn’t been taken seriously enough with a lack of investment in the regions dragging down the standard of the game in Wales.
Of course, this isn’t all on the WRU, and the regions must take some responsibility, but it’s fair to say the union haven’t got things right.
Take the likes of Leo Barre and Nicolas Depoortere, who both made their Test debuts on Sunday as a case in point.
Both play at an exceptionally high standard for Stade Francais and Bordeaux, respectively, meaning the step up to Test rugby is much smoother.
Contrast that to the likes of Cam Winnett, Alex Mann and Joe Roberts, who are playing sides who are struggling badly on a weekly basis. The WRU needs to grab the game in this country by the scruff of the neck and force through a series of drastic changes if it is to recover.
New WRU CEO Abi Tierney’s strategy for the game, which is due to be published in June, will be interesting.