Wales go in search of their first win of the 2007 RBS Six Nations Championship tomorrow with Wales Head Coach, Gareth Jenkins, banking on a beefed-up pack to provide the “grunt” missing against Scotland two weeks ago. He has made seven changes from the team who were soundly beaten in Scotland.
The four changes in the front five are designed to provide more set piece possession with the changes in the back line coming through the returns to fitness of Shane Williams, Tom Shanklin and Lee Byrne. Wales failed to score a try against both Ireland and Scotland and putting that right will all hinge on how the pack goes against a formidable and fiery French eight.
Wales’s forwards took a mauling at Murrayfield with Jenkins looking at powerhouse props Gethin Jenkins and Chris Horsman, hooker Matthew Rees and lock Ian Gough coming in and doing a job in Paris.
“France have a big physical presence up front which we will need to combat,” said Jenkins. “We need to break the physical dominance they put on a game and we have strong views about how we want to take the game to them.
“Up front we have looked at the physicality of our front row and have presented a different dynamic for the French match than that against Scotland. We were not at our best in that area at Murrayfield and we have looked for extra power in the scrum this time out.”
The back row survives intact for a third successive game with Jenkins going back to the bulk of the pack who went toe-to-toe against Ireland in the tournament opener;Â Rees edging out Rhys Thomas at hooker in the only change in an effort to win more ball and let the backs loose.
“It’s obviously a boost to have someone of Shane’s ability and experience back in the fold and the same applies to Tom, who makes his first start of this campaign,” said Jenkins.
France, the defending RBS Six Nations Champions, have won their two opening matches with Coach Bernard Laporte making five changes from the team who beat Ireland 20-17 in a dramatic finish at Croke Park in Round Two, but Jenkins knows the change in personnel will not make Wales’s job any easier.
“France is always a tough place to go and they have proved they are the best team in this Championship in the first two rounds,” he added. “We are at a stage where we need to get back out there on the pitch and show what we have to offer as well.”
Wales taken on France at the Stade de France, Paris on Saturday (8pm) (9pm CET)
Wales: Lee Byrne; Shane Williams, Tom Shanklin, James Hook, Mark Jones; Stephen Jones (captain), Dwayne Peel; Gethin Jenkins, Matthew Rees, Chris Horsman, Ian Gough, Alun-Wyn Jones, Alix Popham, Martyn Williams, Ryan Jones
Replacements: T Rhys Thomas, Duncan Jones, Brent Cockbain, Jonathan Thomas, Mike Phillips, Ceri Sweeney, Jamie Robinson
France: C Poitrenaud (Toulouse); V Clerc (Toulouse), D Marty (Perpignan), Y Jauzion (Toulouse), C Dominici (Stade Francais); D Skrela (Stade Francais), P Mignoni (Clermont-Auvergne); O Milloud (Bourgoin), R Ibanez (Wasps, capt), N Mas (Perpignan), L Nallet (Castres), J Thion (Biarritz), S Betsen (Biarritz), J Bonnaire (Bourgoin), E Vermeulen (Clermont-Auvergne)
Replacements: B August (Biarritz), S Marconnet (Stade Francais), G Lamboley (Toulouse), I Harinordoquy (Biarritz), D Yachvili (Biarritz), L Beauxis (Stade Francais), A Rougerie (Clermont-Auvergne)
