Gatland on a mission to avoid whitewash
WALES are on their worst run in the Six Nations since the year Warren Gatland was first summoned from New Zealand to put puff back into the dragon.
They have lost 10 of their last 11 fixtures in the championship and have not beaten today’s opponents at the Principality Stadium, France, since 2019, the last year of Gatland’s first stint as head coach. Back in 2007, before failure in the World Cup prompted the call for Gatland, they had won two in 10, with neither victory coming against Italy. A fifth successive defeat to France would leave Wales needing to beat Italy in Cardiff on Saturday to avoid a first whitewash in 21 years.
Gatland has made five changes from the side that lost to Ireland in Dublin in a selection that looks designed for a France team that since being eliminated early from the World Cup they hosted last year have gone for raw-boned power and ditched finesse.
It got them nowhere against Ireland in Marseille, earned them a late and fortunate victory in Scotland and restricted them to a draw against Italy in Lille when the ball falling off the tee as Paolo Garbisi was lining up a penalty to win the match in the final minute denied the Azzurri an historic victory.
Ryan Elias, right, replaces Elliot Dee at hooker and if it sacrifices lineout accuracy for muscle and bustle, Gatland has gone for three second rows. Will Rowlands starts in the boilerhouse with Adam Beard and skipper Dafydd
Jenkins moves to blindside flanker in place of the benched Alex Mann.
The changes will bolster Wales up front, give them an extra lineout option and enhance their carrying options against an overtly physical side, but the surprise came in the midfield where Nick Tompkins and George North, who impressed as a pairing in the World Cup, have been dropped for Owen Watkin and the one-cap Joe Roberts.
North stood out in Wales’s defence in Dublin, making a number of key reads but, by moving Watkin to inside centre and bringing in the left-footed Roberts at 13, Gatland not only wrong-footed France’s analysts but suggested a more territorial gameplan after the expansionism of the early rounds.
“The two centres have the chance to make a statement,” said Gatland. “I am looking for them to be vocal, making sure they communicate with the outside-half and take that communication from the outside. That is a massive workon for us and they need to realise how vocal they have to be in defence and attack.”
Gatland pointed out that Tompkins missed training the previous week because he had to return to Saracens while North is moving to France in the summer to join Provence.
“Despite what everyone says and players wanting to leave Wales and that, not having continuity all the time during the week can be a distraction and it does have a slight impact on selection,” said Gatland. “Part of the discussions with George were about how we manage him and we have to make sure we have depth at 13.”
Despite having lost their first three matches, Wales are in better heart than France who have lost one in three. Head coach Fabien Galthie has made 10 changes, two positional, from the side that drew with Italy, two enforced by Jonathan Danty’s suspension and Matthieu Jalibert’s injury.
Nicolas Depoortere replaces Danty 15 months after making his senior debut for Bordeaux-Begles, Leo Barre comes in at full-back for Thomas Ramos who takes over from Jalibert at outside-half, Nolann le Garrec starts at scrum-half and Louis Bielle-Biarrey returns to the left wing. At forward, captain Gregory Alldritt is fit again at No.8 so Francois Cros moves to the blindside, Julian Marchand starts at hooker for the first time since the opening match in last year’s World Cup against New Zealand and there is a new look to the second row.
Thibaud Flament comes in for the dropped Cameron Woki, a sign of how France have tightened up, while one 23st lock, uncapped Emmanuel Meafou, takes over from another, Posolo Tuilagi, who withdrew from the squad last week through illness.
Meafou, born in New Zealand and brought up in Australia, moved to France in 2018 after going on an American football course for international players in New South Wales, declining the offer of a place in the academy in Florida.
“His eligibility had been expected for over a year,” said Galthie. “We were waiting for him. It took a long time to come. Now he is ready.
“Our challenge now is to find the right balance. We have to accept happiness, but also pain and suffering. What is certain is that I am not satisfied with our results. We are going through a difficult period and we are in a cycle where we are not at out best, but we will soon be better.”
The absence of Antoine Dupont has robbed France of a player capable of reacting to what is in front of him, but it does not explain some of the bone-headed decisions that have been made in all three matches when their threats out wide have too often been ignored. France have become obsessed with size and power, but top international teams are not flustered by having to tackle targets moving in a straight line, no matter how big they are.
If France play to their strengths, rather than obsess with strength, they will surely win but if they are one-dimensional again, a scavenging Wales will pick them off.