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France player ratings vs Wales | 2023 Guinness Six Nations

By Ian Cameron
Uini Atonio (centre) of France (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

France player ratings: In order to maintain pressure on the undefeated tournament leaders and Grand Slam hopefuls Ireland, France required a bonus-point triumph over Wales. They were able to welcome back prop Uini Atonio following a suspension, while Romain Taofifenua replaced the injured lock, Paul Willemse.

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They certainly didn’t get it their own way, a sleepy start in Paris giving way to a more considered performance in the French capitol.

We rate the French players:

15. Thomas Ramos – 8.5
His kicking from boot has been a real weapon for France this tournament and it was on show again here. Some of huge Garryowens proved a real issue for Wales’ backfield.  What might have been heartening to see for Fabien Galthie was that his defensive commitment matched his mastery with the boot.

14. Damian Penaud – 5
Took his two tries well but his attempt to milk a yellow when accidentally clipped off the ball by a Wales’ player sticks in the craw.

13. Gael Fickou – 7
Maybe lucky to get away with a penalty for a lifting tackle on Alun Wyn Jones, even if the Welsh icon was clearly making the most of it. A couple of uncharacteristic errors pockmarked his first half but he made up for that with a sublime line and finish in the 49th minute.

12. Jonathan Danty – 7.5
Rio Dyer might as well have clapped Danty to the try line, such was the Welshman’s chance of stopping the La Rochelle tank for his 34th-minute 5-pointer.

11. Ethan Dumortier – 7
Did well under pressure when fielding a George North hack ahead. Has grown into the tournament, even if you’d like to see him get on the ball a bit more often.

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10. Romain Ntamack – 8
A searing break from Ntamack seemed to shake France from their early slumber in Paris. This game was a real return to form in an individual performance which was more art than sport at times.

9. Antoine Dupont – 7.5
Showed fantastic decision-making under pressure for France’s first try, floating a pass out to Penaud when many would put their head down and bulled towards to the try-line. How do you rate a player as good as Dupont, when a bad game for him is an eight out of ten for anybody else?

1. Cyril Baille – 7.5
Continues to be one of France’s best ball carriers, which is no mean feat.

2. Julian Marchand – 7.5
Some real breakdown nous and from Marchand and a couple of decent carries.

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3. Uini Atonio – 8
His strength at the set piece came to the fore here and who would bemoan the giant tighthead a try on his 50th cap.

4. Thibaud Flament – 5
A pretty anonymous game from Flament even if he did get through a respectable defensive shift while on the pitch. A mediocre game in what has been an otherwise superb Six Nations for the Toulouse man.

5. Romain Taofifenua – 8
There was a sense that the Toulon second row was pushing the injured Paul Willemse for his spot and his strong display here won’t dampen that argument. Got through a lot of heavy-duty body moving and scored a turnover here.

6. François Cros – 8
An unkind commentator might suggest Cros is keeping the seat warm for Anthony Jelonch. An immense defensive performance, making 12 tackles in the first 25 minutes. The unsung workhouse of this French pack.

7. Charles Ollivon – 6
Maybe didn’t have a starring role but had plenty of effective cameos. Missed a few tackles but otherwise a decent afternoon’s work.

8. Gregory Alldritt – 5
It might be said that his tournament wasn’t Alldritt’s best but that’s not to say he’s had a bad Six Nations. Caught napping for Tomas Williams’ try which lost him a point here.

Replacements – 7: Peato Mauvaka didn’t let the standard set by Marchand drop when he came on and rookie lock Bastien Chalureau looked decent.

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Jon 4 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 6 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

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A
Adrian 8 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

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T
Trevor 11 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

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