Rowlands is playing club rugby at Racing 92 in the Top 14 these days and believes the opening night of the championship is going to be “a very special one”.
Having made his Wales debut as a replacement against the French in the 2020 Six Nations campaign he has gone on to face Les Bleus twice more in the 2022 and 2024 tournaments. This weekend he will be winning his 37th cap
“Everyone is looking forward to it because it’s normally an incredible atmosphere at Stade de France. We’re kicking off the Six Nations and playing a great French team, so it’s very exciting,” said Riowlands.
“These are the moments why you play professional rugby. People may be writing us off, but that is the perfect place for us to be. We’ll just go there with little expectation.
“We’re confident that we can put together a good performance and try to enjoy ourselves playing the rugby the way we want to play and see what happens.”
“We’re obviously very respectful of the quality of the French team but I think the atmosphere is something that everyone is looking forward to. The occasion is something we are really excited to get stuck into.
“Everyone is pretty much up to speed about what we are going to face. It definitely adds a bit of shine for me playing in France and going back there with my national side to play the French national team.”
Rowlands understands the time has come to deliver performances that can bring more positive results.
“There is only one way out, one way up for us. There is always pressure when you play, but in some ways it takes off a bit of pressure,” said Rowlands.
“The Six Nations is about results, we know that. But I still stand by the fact that there was a period of development.
“We didn’t see the results of that as we wanted to in the autumn, but hopefully there have been some lessons taken from that and we’ll be judged ultimately by the results in this Six Nations.
“As a team and as a collective, I think everyone is confident that we can put together some performances that will at the very least give a lot of confidence and some inspiration going forward.
“I’m 100% sure that if we deliver on those performances, the results will follow.”
