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Navidi not intimated by 151 stone French pack

By Online Editors
Wales' Josh Navidi.

Josh Navidi will adopt a “bigger they are, harder they fall” approach when the Wales forwards face a juggernaut French pack in Friday’s Guinness Six Nations opener.

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Les Bleus will field an eight with a combined weight of just over 150 stones, spearheaded by prop Uini Atonio (22st 7lbs) and lock Paul Willemse (21st 3lbs).

And Wales know they cannot budge an inch during what could be a right old rumble at Stade de France.

The bigger they are, the harder they fall,” Wales flanker Navidi said.

“It is the same when we play regional rugby – we know they are going to be big and physical and the back-line will have a lot of flair.

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“You just know what is coming – a lot of drives and stuff. We know how big they are and we have to try and match them physically.

“I played (for Cardiff Blues) against Montpellier, probably four years ago. They had one of the biggest packs I have played against.

“You have to try and match them, getting off the line and getting in their faces.

“You cannot let them come to you and give them a rolling start. We know we need to move their pack around the field, and I hope we can do that by moving the ball and tiring them out.”

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Navidi, 28, was a stand-out Wales player last season, delivering one high-class display after another.

France vs Wales in the Stade de France is maybe the perfect way to kick off the tournament

But he has not featured in the Test arena since Wales beat France last March, missing his country’s autumn series clean sweep this term because of injury.

Navidi teams up with Justin Tipuric and Ross Moriarty in the Wales back-row, having a pivotal role to play as Warren Gatland’s men chase a 10th successive victory against all opponents.

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Dragons number eight Moriarty has not played since mid-December after being sidelined with concussion, but he will bring abrasiveness and considerable physicality to a contest that will be no place for the faint-hearted.

“He is a physical character,” Navidi added. “His ball-carrying and defence work show how physical he is. I like that part of his game.

“He is nitty-gritty, and what he does he does well. To not play for six weeks and come into a game like this one is quite impressive.

“He is a world-class player, and I am sure when Friday comes he is ready to go. The six weeks out will not make a difference to him.”

And Navidi has also backed Blues colleague – scrum-half Tomos Williams – to thrive when he features for the first time in a Six Nations game.

Williams, who made his Test debut last summer, has been preferred to the more experienced Scarlets number nine Gareth Davies as the only back division change following Wales’ victory over South Africa 10 weeks ago.

“Tomos is a livewire, a threat off the base (of the scrum) as well,” Navidi said.

“He has got flair and is quite aggressive for a scrum-half. It is good when your nine is a bit fiery. He can tie in extra defenders.”

Wales have beaten France on six of the countries’ last seven meetings, including two victories in Paris, which augers well for a campaign that many observers feel will be a three-way title battle between Wales, Ireland and England.

PA

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Jon 8 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 10 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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