PARIS — Was anybody else ever actually going to steal the present within the Six Nations’ curtain-raiser?
Antoine Dupont took centre stage with ease on Friday night time in Paris as France cruised to a 43-0 victory over Wales, reaffirming their title credentials. For his half, Dupont additionally confirmed what everybody already knew: he’s the person of the second and does not seem like stopping any time quickly.
The electrical scrum-half seemed to have nabbed the primary factors of the championship himself, taking a fast faucet penalty earlier than darting underneath the posts after simply three minutes to convey the Stade de France devoted to their toes, earlier than he was proven to be held up. Both means, it was a warning to Wales and the remainder of the competitors.
If his masterful cross-field kick to arrange Théo Attissogbé for his or her opening strive does not give opposition coaches and gamers nightmares, the convenience with which he carved open the Wales defence on his strategy to establishing his facet’s third strive certainly will. His three strive assists on Friday took him to twenty total within the Six Nations, shifting him away from former Wales fly-half Dan Biggar and equal second with Scotland’s Finn Russell on the all-time record.
The ominous factor is, it wasn’t simply Dupont who caught concern into the opposition. The bundle of power that’s winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey was as energetic as ever and nipped over for 2 tries. Attissogbé, who had huge footwear to fill changing the injured Damien Penaud, greater than rose to the event with two of his personal. The depth of this French facet is rising and so they go into video games figuring out they’ve payers scattered throughout the sector who can produce particular person flashes of brilliance on the drop of a hat.
Whereas they weren’t good — with 16 dealing with errors and 15 turnovers conceded — that could possibly be put right down to the rust that always comes within the opening match of a Six Nations marketing campaign. The actual fact is, France are the actual deal.
For Wales, it is the identical previous script and the numbers aren’t fairly — seven tries towards, zero scored. 12 penalties conceded. The defeat was their thirteenth in a row and marked the primary time since 2002-03 they’ve misplaced seven straight Six Nations matches. It’s also the primary time Wales have failed to attain within the championship since 1998.
The dearth of expertise was clear once more for Warren Gatland’s facet, however he remained upbeat about their efforts and intent. “Most likely after they look again, there have been occasions the place we have gone three or 4 phases and have not obtained something out of it and perhaps we have carried on making an attempt to play and ended up going nowhere,” Gatland instructed a publish match information convention. “I do not assume it is a utterly unhealthy night time of the workplace as a result of there have been elements of that sport the place we had been good.”
As for the positives, Gatland’s facet defended bravely and did look to run the ball after they might, however they did not come near penetrating the French defence. Nevertheless, they confirmed all of the grit and coronary heart that Welsh followers would have wished to see from their facet.
“We have to get that monkey off our again in the mean time, however I wish to take a look at these forwards and take a look at the way in which they saved carrying and the way in which they saved defending,” Gatland mentioned. “They gave it every little thing however we’d like to verify we’re sensible when it comes to the way in which that we play to hopefully get that win subsequent week in Rome.”
Centre Owen Watkin will virtually actually miss the essential journey to Italy subsequent week, as will Aaron Wainwright who suffered a head damage. Regardless, Wales are in determined want of a win earlier than any extra harm is finished. France will take to Twickenham, the place they ran out 53-10 winners towards England of their final Six Nations conflict.
To not fear England followers, however Dupont wasn’t unhealthy in that sport, both.
Additional studying:
– Why every workforce will discover Six Nations success, and why they will not
– WATCH: Can Scotland win their first title since 1999? ESPN writers debate
– Six Nations and Ladies’s Six Nations: Full fixture record
– Six Nations historical past, previous winners, extra
