France Sets Record Points Against Wales
Fabien Galthie's remark that Grand Slam-contending France "performed reasonably" against Wales may have been understated, but it signals a formidable challenge for Italy, Scotland, and England. While Wales strive to avoid a third consecutive wooden spoon, Les Bleus aim for their first clean sweep since 2022.
France dominated Ireland in round one and scored eight tries against Wales before a large traveling crowd at the Principality Stadium. Their next match is against a dangerous Italy side in Lille on Sunday, followed by away games against Scotland and a home fixture versus England.
"We can't stop moving forward," said Galthie. "We are performing reasonably but nothing is sure. We expect a difficult encounter against Italy, so are still working. We had many great parts against Wales but we can do better."
Eight-Try France Overwhelms Wales in Cardiff
Though France's achievement in Cardiff may not seem extraordinary—Argentina, New Zealand, and South Africa had already scored over fifty points against Steve Tandy's Wales in the autumn—the home side acknowledged their performance was reasonable and an improvement over their round one loss to England. Nevertheless, Wales were outmatched in every aspect.
France scored eight tries and could have scored more, with an attack led by Antoine Dupont and Matthieu Jalibert producing 28 line breaks, 31 defenders beaten, 1,136 carry metres, and 24 offloads.
"When you play a team like that you have to be good at everything," said former England and British & Irish Lions captain Martin Johnson on BBC One. "France had zero worries because they knew they were going to win, they knew they were too good. They're all so comfortable on the ball. When they're confident and there's no jeopardy, I was thinking 'thank god I'm not on that field.' It's so difficult to contain them when they're that confident and don't feel that anything is going to go wrong for them."
Concerns Over Welsh Rugby
Johnson, who won five Six Nations titles as a player but only two Grand Slams, recognizes potential challenges ahead for France.
"France are massive favourites to win this tournament, everyone is talking about how good they are," he said. "You've got to deal with that expectation. They're looking very good, they've got huge depth, they've got massive confidence at the moment, but you've got to get them into a point where they feel pressure."
Former Lions captain Sam Warburton, who secured a Grand Slam and title with Wales, believes applying pressure to France is easier said than done.
"France have got that double-edged sword of physicality up front and the ball playing ability out wide," said Warburton. "They're so potent in attack, they're so difficult to defend against. France are great, I love watching France."
Welsh Rugby's Future and Scottish Performance
France's confident style has entertained their supporters, who enjoyed a decisive victory in Cardiff. Despite an impressive traveling Welsh contingent that boosted local pubs, the match drew Wales' smallest Six Nations crowd.
Many will attend the upcoming match at Murrayfield with high hopes but some apprehension.
"At the end when they were singing, we felt like we were in the Stade de France," said star scrum-half Antoine Dupont. "It's incredible to feel that you are at home when playing away."
A victory in Lille followed by another in Edinburgh would position France to secure an 11th Grand Slam against England.
Steve Tandy, Wales' coach, is well placed to assess France's strengths after a challenging start to his tenure, facing the Pumas, All Blacks, Springboks, and England.
"They're in a great space to achieve that, but the Six Nations is funny," said Tandy. "There's no complacency there and they are playing at a high level, so I don't see why they can't win the Grand Slam. They're a formidable outfit."
