After the high of scoring four tries against England, the Welsh coaching and management team were unhappy at the five try return in the away win over Italy. Team manager Wayne Hall says he will be looking for a vast improvement when the side heads to France.
“We have got to be a lot more positive in our approach and step up from the game in Italy. The Italians dragged us down to their level in Italy and we can’t afford for that to happen again,” admitted Hall. “England have given us footage of their game against the French and we have looked at them very closely. We need to be strong in the scrum and it is bound to be a physical test for our players.
“The weather was atrocious for their 20-17 win over England in Northampton, yet they still looked to play an expansive game. We know we have to match them in all phases and believe we have the ability to do that.
“We are setting high standards for this team, which is full of experienced and talented players, and this game in particular will give us the best indication so far of how we can expect them to perform at the IRB Under 21 World Cup in the summer.”
The French will go into the game undefeated in their two outings to date this season – they beat Scotland 12-8 in their opening match – and are sure to be keen to avenge their defeat at the hands of the Welsh side in last summer’s World Cup in Scotland. Victory by 29-21 in that game gave the Welsh side fifth place overall and made it 8-5 to Wales in a series of fixtures that started with the first of three Welsh wins on French soil back in 1993. Ospreys outside half Matthew Jones scored 18 points in that victory in Edinburgh and he was also in the side that faced France in last year’s Six Nations campaign, along with James Merriman, Cai Griffiths, Ian Evans and Jonathan Mills.
The French were runaway winners in Wales on that occasion, 36-9, while a Gavin Henson super-show earned Wales the junior Grand Slam on their last visit to France in 2003 when he kicked all the points in a 21-16 victory.
U21 – FRANCE v WALESÂ
15 Ricky Williams  NewportÂ
14 Aled Brew  Ospreys
13 Gavin Evans  Scarlets
12 Andrew Bishop  Ospreys
11 Chris Czekaj  Cardiff
10 Matthew Jones  Ospreys
09 Wayne Evans  Carmarthen QuinsÂ
01 Scott Roberts  BridgendÂ
02 Duane Goodfield  PontypriddÂ
03 Cai Griffiths  Neath
04 Alun Wyn Jones  Swansea Â
05 Ian Evans  Neath / OspreysÂ
06 Chris Davies  BridgendÂ
07 James Merriman  Hartpury College / Gloucester (Captain)Â
08 Jonathan Mills  Scarlets
ReplacementsÂ
16 Rhys James  UWICÂ
17 Ross Davies  NewbridgeÂ
18 Ben Thomson  NewportÂ
19 Tom Smith  NeathÂ
20 Aled Thomas  Carmarthen QuinsÂ
21 Tom Riley  PontypriddÂ
22 Rhodri McAtee  Penzance
