'I didn't want this to be a talking point. The talking point should be about the rugby'
Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones says he hopes “the game and occasion” will provide post-match talking points following the verbal jousting that has accompanied Saturday’s Guinness Six Nations clash against France.
The build-up has seen both sides not holding back, with Jones’ namesake, Wales prop Wyn Jones, saying he expected the French forwards to “hit and chase and cheat” in a bid for scrummaging supremacy.
France head coach Fabien Galthie then responded to Jones’ comments by claiming they demonstrated a lack of respect for the French nation, and there was “no room for these kind of remarks” in the Six Nations.
Les Bleus team manager Raphael Ibanez, meanwhile, bizarrely criticised Wales for their handling of fly-half Dan Biggar, who failed a head injury assessment in the defeat against Ireland two weeks ago but starts on Saturday after passing all return-to-play protocols.
All Biggar’s testing was undertaken with the addition of a globally renowned concussion expert reviewing his return, which was proactively sought by the Welsh Rugby Union’s medical team.
Asked for his reaction to the scrummaging furore, Alun Wyn Jones said: “It’s funny, I think the tone, context and language used can sometimes be ill-perceived.
“I wasn’t at the press conference but I think it may have fuelled the fire for some. They are not my words. If anything, it’s completely the other way – the words were borne out of respect for what French rugby has been about for many, many years, which is a dominant pack and flair behind.
“It’s probably borne more out of respect than a lack of but that’s my perception.
“This is the Six Nations tournament and in the Six Nations tournament there is no room for these kind of remarks.”https://t.co/9IoCqAKDQM
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 20, 2020
“Ultimately, we just want to conform to the laws and they are adjudicated accordingly.
“I didn’t want this to be a talking point. The talking point should be about the rugby and the game as a whole and the Six Nations, and not necessarily about the intricacies, because we could go on to the tackle laws, we could go on to the ruck laws and could be here for another two hours and I could miss the team run.
“But hopefully, the game and the occasion is what we’re talking about after the game.”
Quizzed on Ibanez’s Biggar comments, Jones added: “I’m not a doctor so I couldn’t answer any medical questions.
He boasted 396 metres gained from 65 carries and 39 defenders beaten in the Champions Cup group stages for Racing this season… #SixNations #France #Wales pic.twitter.com/nMQyi6xCu6
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 20, 2020
“But it’s interesting he (Ibanez) says that because Prav (WRU national medical manager Prav Mathema) was with him (Ibanez) for two years at Wasps, so I’m sure they will have a conversation regarding that after the game.
“But I’m not here to answer any medical questions. If he (Biggar) has been deemed fit, then I am assuming he’s fit for the people who make those decisions.”
Jones will lead out a team boasting a Six Nations record 859 caps this weekend, and it is a game Wales must win to keep alive title hopes.
Shaun Edwards brings his unbeaten team to Wales this weekend, with a very strong side in the backs department #GuinnessSixNations pic.twitter.com/jyF2h9pBWC
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 20, 2020
France and Ireland are the only remaining unbeaten teams left in this season’s competition, but Les Bleus have not win a Six Nations game in Cardiff since 2010.
“Sometimes, you go away and people talk about pressure, but I think there’s more pressure from playing at home because that expectancy is there,” Jones said.
“Irrelevant to what we have or haven’t done, there is always that expectancy when you are playing on your home ground, and that’s no different tomorrow.
“We were well aware of the exciting French squad that was announced before the campaign and they’ve backed that up with their first two performances.
“You would like to hopefully think that some of the experience we have, it’s served us well in those tight games, but it is a new French side, a new outlook, a new coaching set-up.
“The fact we’re at home, we don’t want to think or rely on a home advantage, but ultimately the message will be stick to the process.”
– Press Association
Comments on RugbyPass
Farcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
7 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
55 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
7 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
61 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
7 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
61 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
55 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
61 Go to comments