1
The startling French statistic that has Grand Slam-chasing Wales working extra hard on the training pitch
Wales take on France this Saturday in Paris hoping that the training ground work they have put in to curb one particular aspect of French power play will pay rich dividends and help take them to Six Nations Grand Slam success under Wayne Pivac.
ADVERTISEMENT
Fabien Galthie’s side have only played three games so far in this year’s tournament as their round three match with Scotland at the end of February was postponed.
However, the startling pattern that emerged from their games versus Italy, Ireland and England was how 40 per cent of the points they have scored in this campaign took place in the second quarter period, from 20 minutes in the first-half through to half-time.
France have scored 85 points in total this year and 34 have come in that 20-minute period leading up to the interval. There were 14 points scored against Italy, ten against Ireland and another ten versus England last weekend.
In contrast, this 20-minute period before the break has been a time when Grand Slam hopefuls Wales have been at their most vulnerable. While they kept Italy scoreless last weekend until the second-half, 28 of the 71 points the Welsh have conceded in this year’s championship (39.4 per cent) have been in that period before the half-time break.
"We are very lucky that in our changing room we are going to have 14 of the starting 15 that won a Grand Slam before"
– Wayne Pivac explains his Wales pick for Saturday's Grand Slam finale #SixNations #FRAvWAL https://t.co/nt2kRzeQhX
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 18, 2021
It’s a pattern of French power and Welsh leakage that hasn’t gone unnoticed by Pivac, who revealed he took steps on the training ground on Tuesday to ensure this scoring trend doesn’t materialise in the 20 minutes before half-time in the Wales Grand Slam match at the Stade de France.
“We have talked about it Tuesday and we replicated some of that at training,” he admitted after announcing an XV showing one change from last weekend, Adam Beard retaking his spot from Cory Hill. “Very well aware that their points differential in that last 15, 20 minutes of the half is high and for us it’s the other way around.
ADVERTISEMENT
“We are very well aware of when we score a lot of points is towards the end of the game so what we need to do is we make sure we go to the dressing room (at half-time) well and truly in the game. That is going to be a big emphasis for us, and discipline in that second quarter is going to be huge as it is right across the game because these finals come down to fine margins.”
RugbyPass Offload EP 21 with Neil Back ?
We are honoured to be joined by former British and Irish Lion and World Cup winner Neil Back!
He joins Christina Mahon, Dylan Hartley & Ryan Wilson this week to review the Six Nations! ?
?? – https://t.co/9j0yPN7kNH pic.twitter.com/5YnukXGVyr
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 17, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
Thanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
11 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
11 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to comments