Warren Gatland has underlined Wales’s desperation to end their losing Six Nations run this season and claim what would be a statement victory over France.
Even though Les Bleus have produced nowhere near their standards of last year, highlighted by a comprehensive defeat against Ireland and home draw with Italy, they have claimed four successive Six Nations wins at Wales’ expense. Despite several promising moments in defeats to Scotland, England and Ireland, new-look Wales are nil from three heading into Sunday’s fixture at the Principality Stadium.
They have not lost all five games of a Six Nations campaign since 2003, with Italy – conquerors of Wales in Cardiff two years ago – arriving next weekend.
“We need to win, and that is what Test match rugby is all about,” Wales head coach Gatland said. “We desperately want to win. We feel we have been going OK and we want to try to put a complete performance together. We know we are on a journey, but we are trying to fast-track things as quickly as possible. A win on Sunday would be a good stepping stone for that.”
Emmanuel Meafou is one of three new caps in the France side, with Fabien Galthié making eight changes to his team named on Friday. Lock Meafou, 25, comes in for Posolo Tuilagi, out through illness, while Léo Barré makes his debut at full-back with Thomas Ramos moving to fly-half in place of the injured Matthieu Jalibert.
Centre Nicolas Depoortère is the other debutant as he fills in for the suspended Jonathan Danty, who was sent off in the 13-13 draw with Italy. Louis Bielle-Biarrey and Grégory Alldritt both return from injury after missing the game with Italy, and Nolann Le Garrec is preferred at scrum-half with Maxime Lucu dropping to the bench.
Julien Marchand is chosen ahead of hooker Peato Mauvaka who is among the replacements, and lock Thibaud Flament comes in for Cameron Woki who is dropped from the matchday squad.
Scotland’s Darge focused on points not records
Rory Darge feels Italy’s Stadio Olimpico would be “a nice place” for Duhan van der Merwe to become Scotland’s record try-scorer – but the co-captain stressed that his team’s focus is solely on leaving Rome with another Six Nations victory.
While the priority for Gregor Townsend’s side is to get the points that will keep them on course for a first top-two finish in the Six Nations era, the fixture has added spice because Van der Merwe goes into it with 26 international tries to his name – one shy of the country’s record-holder Stuart Hogg.
“He’s obviously a great finisher,” said back-rower Darge. “Sometimes you only need to give him half a chance and he comes away with a chance, so it (the record) could happen. It would be a nice place for him to do it but I don’t think he’ll have too much of his mind set on that. He’ll just be focused on his role, and he might come away with a couple, but we’ll have to wait and see. I’m sure Italy will put us under a lot of pressure.”
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Meanwhile Michele Lamaro believes Italy are steadily progressing but he will not be getting carried away by their spirited display away to France last time out until he sees evidence that they can back it up.
The Azzurri are buoyed by drawing 13-13 with Les Bleus in Lille a fortnight ago and they would have pulled off an historic victory if Paolo Garbisi’s last-gasp penalty had not come back off a post.
However, captain Lamaro has endured enough false dawns while representing Italy to ensure he maintains a degree of caution amid the growing excitement that has played a part in 70,000 tickets being snapped up for the Stadio Olimpico clash.
“We managed to draw in France, but the previous week we had been on the floor after losing 36-0 to Ireland,” he said. “The perception is that one week we are heroes, the next we are a word that it’s probably better I don’t say. Those perceptions do not reflect reality. There are always going to be highs and lows in a team’s journey, but I believe we are heading in the right direction.”
