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'They still have a hell of a lot to play for and the DNA of the team doesn't change'
Jonathan Humphreys believes Wales will face “one of the best teams in the world” when they target Guinness Six Nations title and Grand Slam glory on Saturday. Wales tackle France in Paris where victory would give them a sixth Six Nations crown and fifth tournament clean sweep.
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They head to the French capital having won there on three of their last four visits in the competition, but Wales assistant coach Humphreys is braced for a ferocious challenge as he does not subscribe to any theory that France’s 23-20 defeat against England, which ended their own Grand Slam hopes, will affect Les Bleus’ mindset.
’They still have a hell of a lot to play for and the DNA of the team doesn’t change’“What you find in all these games is they are won and lost on such fine margins, and that game was like that,” Humphreys said. “I thought England were physical, as we expected them to be, but France are still incredibly dangerous.
“A couple of decisions and you could argue they would have won that game. Nothing has changed in terms of our perception of France. They still have a hell of a lot to play for and the DNA of the team does not change.
“We believe we are going up against one of the best teams in the world and that we are going to have to be at our very, very best to get what we want from the weekend. There is excitement that we are obviously in the hunt for a big prize, but it is contained by the fact we have got a huge game in front of us and we need to be better than we were in all the games before this.”
It has been an incredible time for Wayne Pivac, going from calls for him to be sacked in November to bringing Wales to within 80 minutes of a Grand Slam#SixNations #ITAvWALhttps://t.co/kcA6o2JA9F
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 13, 2021
Wales lost twice to France last year and Wales forwards specialist Humphreys added: “(They are) the most physical team that we are going to play against, the biggest pack we are going to play against. They are bigger than South Africa.
“Collisions are going to be massive in this game. I keep on saying it, but to get what we want out of this game, we are going to have to be very clinical and at our very, very best. There is obviously excitement. Games don’t come along like this very often and we are looking forward to going out there and having a crack at an extremely good team.”
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Wales have matched their Six Nations best for one season of 17 tries, while the Triple Crown is already tucked away in the trophy cabinet, but European rugby’s two biggest prizes now stand tantalisingly close. With a fully fit squad available, everything is geared for the final push with Wales driven by a core group of experienced players. Captain Alun Wyn Jones is at the helm and closing in on a player-record fourth Six Nations Grand Slam.
“There are 25 of this squad who have won big in this tournament,” Humphreys said. “You are led by that, you are led by Al (Jones), who sets the tone very, very well about this. There is nobody who has been through this more than he has.
“When you have a team meeting and one of those (senior players) stands up and says something, you listen based on the fact that they have been there, done it and experienced all that stuff. That is worth its weight in gold.
“It is belief. It’s something you can’t coach – belief that you are capable of going out there and doing it. When people speak and young people hear, they immediately believe. That’s massive in sport, especially in these games which are so tight and balanced on a knife-edge. Sometimes, the belief from the core group is the deciding factor.”
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PLAYER RATINGS
One more to go? Here's how we rated the Welsh players in Rome #ITAvWAL #SixNations https://t.co/yrgW89SFzp
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 13, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
We 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
60 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.
60 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
60 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
60 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
60 Go to comments