1
Recap: Wales vs France LIVE | Rugby World Cup
Follow all the action on the RugbyPass live blog from the World Cup quarter-final match between Wales versus France in Oita. Keep up to date with the latest score, stats and join the conversation from anywhere in the world in our Live Match Centre (click here).
ADVERTISEMENT
Warren Gatland is relishing the prospect of a World Cup quarter-final against France and has backed Wales’ big-game mentality. Wales will contest a third successive World Cup last-eight clash of Gatland’s reign when they tackle Les Bleus in Oita on Sunday.
Wales have beaten France in seven of the last eight meetings since suffering an agonising 9-8 2011 World Cup semi-final defeat against them. And Gatland, whose time with Wales ends after the tournament, said: “As coaches and players this is what you do all the hard work and training for. It’s all for big moments and to try and get to finals.
“As a coaching group we’ve had a lot of success in big matches when it has really counted and mattered, whether that has been in Grand Slam games, European finals or Premiership finals with Wasps, or even on Lions tours as well. We have got a pretty good formula as a group about getting things right.
“It’s not just about the physical preparation, it’s about being mentally right and those top two inches everyone talks about. If you get that right in big games it can often make a big difference. I keep saying we are in a good place. We have prepared well and the preparation is done.”
(Continue reading below…)
Wales have won 19 out of their last 22 Tests, which included a record 14-game unbeaten run, and a 100 per cent Pool D record was their best group stage performance at a World Cup since 1987. “You have to bring things that are a little bit different, that teams are not expecting,” Gatland added. “We did that in the Six Nations with games that we played against Ireland with a different strategy, the way we played against England as well.
“For this game, we have prepared well. It is going in and making sure you are systematically trying to break down an opposition with the way you have prepared and planned the game. Often it is games that you have lost that are more significant in helping you prepare as coaches.
ADVERTISEMENT
“We keep working hard and about four of the last seven tries (Wales scored) against France have been situations where we kept working hard to chase, and one of their players has made an error and we have capitalised. Defensively, (Wales defence coach) Shaun (Edwards) has been a little bit more on edge this week. He is pretty pumped up from a defensive point of view.
Lee Byrne spent three years in France and understands how emotionally charged they'll be in Oita but he also knows @WelshRugbyUnion have been in dark places and he's backing them to atone for 2011's heartache
– writes @OwainJTJones #rwc2019 https://t.co/cCEATSS1gk
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 19, 2019
“We have been working hard defensively. He was not too happy with conceding a try against Uruguay and he let the players know clearly in the changing room afterwards. We have trained well and prepared extremely well and go into this game with a lot of confidence.”
France head coach Jacques Brunel, meanwhile, accepted that Wales are favourites to win. Although many recent Wales-France games have been close affairs, the French consistently came out on the wrong side. “Wales’ confidence is higher than ours, that’s obvious,” Brunel said.
“They have been consistent for a few seasons. That is undeniable. They’re the favourites, we are in the role of the underdog. That is logical, normal, but it doesn’t stop us believing in our chances.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Here are your teams for Wales vs France #WALvFRA
Our index gives Wales a 91% chance of victory, agree? pic.twitter.com/r6TeQ5VtZI
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 18, 2019
France have been boosted by the return to fitness of scrum-half Antoine Dupont and wing Damien Penaud, but they will encounter a Wales team full of confidence. “They [Wales] are not going to change their strategy,” Brunel added. “They are going to rely on a very strong defensive screen, quality individuals, their ability to put the opposition under pressure.
“It is the same XV that played against Australia (last month). In the first seven minutes, they suffocated Australia and perhaps won the match there. They are capable of imposing that but, by contrast, we saw in their recent matches that there were opportunities. We have the ability to trouble them.
“Teams have gone home and some weren’t expecting to. We are there, still involved, preparing for a match. To keep going, we will need a lot of courage, enthusiasm, determination, and drive in everything we do. I hope we will be able to show the face we want to during the 80 minutes. The biggest motivation has to be being among the best players in the world.”
WATCH: Jim Hamilton previews the Wales vs France quarter-final in the latest episode of Don’t Mess With Jim
Comments on RugbyPass
It couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
25 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
13 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
25 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
13 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
77 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
1 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
13 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
13 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
13 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
44 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to comments