Cardiff will play host as France are looking to keep up their winning streak while Wales will hope to move from fifth spot
WALES are up against France this weekend in a must win game for the home side.
They face a French side who are flying high at the top of the Six Nations table but let’s see what chances both sides have.
Wales
The Welsh side are going into the next fixture off the back of two losses and one win from the tournament so far.
In their previous fixture against England they narrowly lost 23-19 in a thrilling game but a poor first half cost Wales.
Wales player Nick Tompkins said to the BBC after the England loss: “We need to be more consistent, it can’t just be a 10-minute spell.”
There are some difficult squad decisions for Wales coach Wayne Pivac to make ahead of the team selection on Wednesday.
The coach had released Wales winger Louis Rees-Zammit before the England game which enabled him to get some game time for his club side Gloucester.
Additionally, Josh Navidi had been reintroduced in the squad in place of Ellis Jenkins but there is some competition for the number eight spot as Taulupe Faletau has returned from injury.
“Nothing is impossible for Wales heading into the game this Friday but it is a big mountain to climb for Wales,” said Cardiff resident Nathan Newport-Gay.
“The difficulty for Wales will be with the ball carrying in the midfield against a really strong France side who are on the up and up.”
France
Les Bleus have had an incredible tournament so far and are likely to win the Championship as they currently sit in top spot.
In their previous three games they have beaten Italy, Ireland and Scotland and have secured 30 or more points on the board from all of these games.
The power of the French side has been a lot to handle for their previous opponents with the likes of Jonathan Danty making life very difficult in the midfield.
Additionally, the power of players such as Demba Bamba and Uini Atonio in the front row will be a cause for concern for the Welsh team.
The France team manager Raphael Ibanez said to the BBC after the Scotland win: “We just have to stay focused on ourselves, we know we still have room for improvement and it’s not over just because we won the first three games.”
The French side will be hopeful to continue their fine form and powerful play at the Principality.
They will certainly make life difficult for the home side but Wales will be hopeful they can stay up to the job.
- Details of how to watch the game can be found here.
