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The stat that suggests history is very much on Wales' side ahead of Grand Slam decider
Wales will land the Guinness Six Nations title and complete a Grand Slam if they beat France in Paris on Saturday.
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It would represent a considerable turnaround in fortunes, given that Wales won just three of their 10 Test matches last year.
Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the key talking points ahead of an eagerly-awaited encounter at Stade de France.
History is with Wales
Wales have won four Six Nations Grand Slams, and their attempt to secure a fifth clean sweep will see them break new ground if they accomplish it. All their previous successes – in 2005, 2008, 2012 and 2019 – were clinched in Cardiff, but this time it is an away-day mission to Paris. The good news for Welsh fans is that every time a Six Nations Grand Slam has been within touching distance, Wales have never let the opportunity pass them by. They hold a 100 per cent success-rate when it comes to converting four victories into five on a Six Nations stage, while their recent tournament record at Stade de France is also strong, with three wins from the last four visits.
No substitute for experience
Wales will field a starting XV containing a total of 987 caps against France, with 14 of head coach Wayne Pivac’s line-up having enjoyed Grand Slam success under his predecessor Warren Gatland. The exceptions is wing Louis Rees-Zammit, who was just seven-years-old when Wales landed their first Gatland-coached Grand Slam in 2008. And they are led from the front by inspirational captain Alun Wyn Jones, who will make history if Wales topple Les Bleus as the first player to be part of four Six Nations Grand Slam-winning teams.
Pivac deserves praise
This time last year, the Six Nations had been suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic and Wales were reflecting on successive defeats against Ireland, France and England. There was no real improvement in terms of results when Test rugby resumed seven months later as Wales lost four of their next six matches. But Pivac used the Autumn Nations Cup to help develop young talent – players such as Rees-Zammit, Callum Sheedy and James Botham, who are now important Six Nations figures – while big calls were made like switching wing George North to centre and appointing Gethin Jenkins as defence coach. Pivac has been bold and brave in terms of his decision-making.
Fired-up France
France saw their Grand Slam hopes disappear last weekend when they were beaten 23-20 by England in a memorable Twickenham encounter. Les Bleus, though, are not out of the title race. Bonus-point victories over Wales and their final opponents Scotland next week could give France a first Six Nations crown since 2010. It is a tall order to shunt Wales off course, and then back it up by dismissing Scotland in similarly-emphatic fashion, but Fabien Galthie’s men possess sufficient quality to achieve that aim if everything clicks.
Lions places to fight for
If the British and Irish Lions’ summer Test series against world champions South Africa goes ahead as planned, then expect a number of Wales players to feature prominently in Gatland’s squad. At least 10 of Wales’ starting line-up this weekend appear strong bets, including Rees-Zammit, who has taken to international rugby with ease. And what price Alun Wyn Jones being appointed Lions captain? Gatland knows the 35-year-old inside out as a player and person, and while there are a number of candidates – Johnny Sexton, Maro Itoje and Owen Farrell also have their admirers – another Grand Slam triumph could nudge Jones into pole position
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Comments on RugbyPass
After their 5/0 start, I had the Crusaders to finish Top 4 only…they lost the plot in Perth but will reload and back themselves vs 4th placed Rebels…
3 Go to commentsBoth nations missed a great opportunity to book a game that would have had a lot of interest from around the world. I understand these games can’t be organised in 5 minutes but they should have found a way to make it happen. I don’t think Wales are ducking anyone but it’s a bad look haha.
3 Go to commentsIt will be fascinating to see the effect that Jo Yapp has. If they can compete with Canada and give BFs a run for their money that will be progress
1 Go to commentsFollowing his dream and putting in the work. Go well young fella!
3 Go to commentsPerhaps filling Twickenham is one of Mitchell’s KPIs. I doubt whether both September matches will be at Twickenham on consecutive weekends. I would take the BF one to a large provincial stadium so as not to give them the advantage and experience of playing at Twickenham before a large crowd prior to the RWC.
2 Go to commentsvery unfortunate for Kitshoff, but big opportunity potentially for Nché to prove he is genuinely the best loosehead in the world, rather than just a specialist finisher. Presuming that if Kitshoff is out, it will also give Steenekamp a chance to come into the 23? Or are others likely to be ahead of him?
1 Go to commentsA long held question in popular culture asks if art imitates life or does the latter influence the former? Over this 6 nations I can ask the same question of the media influencing the thoughts of its audience or vice versa. Nobody wants to see cricket scores in rugby, as a spectacle it is not sustainable. With so many articles about England’s procession and lack of competition it feeds the epicaricacy of many looking for an opportunity to pounce. England are not the first team to dominate nor does it happen only in rugby, think Federer, Nadal, Red Bull or Mercedes, Manchester Utd, Australia in tests and World Cups. Instead of celebrating the achievements why find reasons to falsify it pointing towards larger playing pool, professional for a longer period or mitigate with the lack of growth in other nations. Can we not enjoy it while it is here and know that it won’t last for ever, others coveting what England have will soon take the crown, ask the aforementioned?
6 Go to commentsShame he won’t turn out for the Netherlands now they’re improving. U20s are Euro champs and in the U20 Trophy this year. The senior sides gets better every year too.
3 Go to commentsWill rugbypass tv be showing these games?
1 Go to commentsWell where do you start, the fact that England have a professional domestic league and Ireland’s is fully amatuer, that they have fully seperated professional squads at Fifteens and Sevens (7’s thinly disguised as GB), and Ireland have fully pro Sevens squad who loan some players back to the Semi-Professional Fifteens squad (moved from amateur for only a year or so) for a few games at 6N & RWC’s. The Women’s games is a shambles, and is at risk of killing itself by pushing for professionalism when the market isn’t really there to support it outside one or two countnries..
6 Go to commentsWayne Smith's input didn't have as much impact on the last final as Davison's red card for Thompson. England were 14 points up and flying when that happened.
6 Go to commentsBilly's been playing consistently well for 2 - 3 seasons now and deserves a look in at the top level. Ioane and ALB are still first choice but there needs to be injury cover and succession. His partnership with Jordie gives him first dibs you'd think. Go the Hurricanes.
3 Go to commentsIt’s not up to Wales to support Georgian Rugby. That’s up to International Rugby and Georgia. I sympathise with Georgia’s decent attempt to create this fixture. But for Wales the proposed match up is just a potential stick to beat them with and a potential big psychological blow that young Welsh team doesn’t need. (I’m Irish BTW.)
3 Go to commentsCale certainly looks great in space, but as you say, he has struggled in contact. At 23 years old, turning 24 this year, he should be close to full physical maturity and yet there exists a considerable gap in the power and physicality required for international rugby. Weight doesn’t automatically equate to power and physicality either. Can he go from a player who’s being physically dominated in Super rugby to physically dominating in international rugby in 1 or 2 years? That’s a big ask but he may end up being a late bloomer.
31 Go to commentsIf rugby wants to remain interesting in the AI era then it will need to work on changing the rules. AI will reduce the tactical advantage of smart game plans, will neutralize primary attacking weapons, and will move rugby from a being a game of inches to a game of millimetres. It will be about sheer athleticism and technique,about avoiding mistakes, and about referees. Many fans will find that boring. The answer is to add creative degrees of freedom to the game. The 50-22 is an example. But we can have fun inventing others, like the right to add more players for X minutes per game, or the equivalent of the 2-point conversion in American football, the ability to call a 12-player scrum, etc. Not saying these are great ideas, but making the point that the more of these alternatives you allow, the less AI will be able to lock down high-probability strategies. This is not because AI does not have the compute power, but because it has more choices and has less data, or less-specific data. That will take time and debate, but big, positive and immediate impact could be in the area of ref/TMO assistance. The technology is easily good enough today to detect forward passes, not-straight lineouts, offside at breakdown/scrum/lineout, obstruction, early/late tackles, and a lot of other things. WR should be ultra aggressive in doing this, as it will really help in an area in which the game is really struggling. In the long run there needs to be substantial creativity applied to the rules. Without that AI (along with all of the pro innovations) will turn rugby into a bash fest.
24 Go to commentsSouth Africa rarely play Ireland and France on these tours. Mostly, England, Scotland and Wales. I wonder why
2 Go to commentsIt was a let’s-see-what-you're-made-of type of a game. The Bulls do look good when the opposition allows them to, but Munster shut them down, and they could not find a way through. Jake should be very worried about their chances in the competition.
2 Go to commentsHats off to Fabian for a very impressive journey to date. Is it as ‘uniquely unlikely’ as Rugby Pass suggests, given Anton Segner’s journey at the Blues?
3 Go to commentsSad that this was not confirmed. When administrators talk about expanding the game they evidently don’t include pathways to the top tier of rugby for teams outside of the old boys club. Rugby deserves better, and certainly Georgia does.
3 Go to commentsLions might take him on if they move on Van Rooyen but I doubt he will want to go back, might consider it a step backwards for himself. Sharks would take him on but if Plumtree goes on to win the challenge cup they will keep him on. Also sharks showing some promising signs recently. Stormers and Bulls are stable and Springboks are already filled up. Quality coach though, interesting to see where he ends up
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