Wales v FranceFrance's captain Fabien Pelous is contemptuous of the challenge posed by Wales at the Millennium Stadium tomorrow, perhaps not surprisingly given his team, despite having the reputation of poor travellers, have lost away to Wales only twice in the last 22 years.
"I don't want to spend time talking about Wales, all I can say is that we have the means to dominate them and impose our game," he said earlier in the week. "Wales were a huge surprise at the World Cup because they were not expected to be able to reach such a high level but they lost matches."
Pelous would have seen the video of Wales's capitulation in Dublin two weeks ago, when they failed to come to terms with Ireland's driving maul and were found out by their scrum, which had itself creaked in Paris the previous week.
While Wales go into the game without a recognised middle jumper or a specialist tighthead, Pelous expects the firmest of French foundations. And with the ball-carrying threat of Thomas Lievremont in their back row in place of the flanker who gives their attacks continuity, Olivier Magne, France are looking to win a match rather than friends.
That aim was helped yesterday when the centre Damien Traille came through a fitness test on a bruised leg.
France have started this campaign slowly but steadily, looking to peak by the time they play England in Paris on March 27th.
"The French seem to be feeling confident and they have every right to be because they are a world-class side," said Wales's coach Steve Hansen, who will nevertheless be pinning Pelous's remarks on the dressing-room wall. "It may mean they are going to come with a soft underbelly."
Having beaten Scotland and with Italy to visit later this month, tomorrow gives Hansen the chance to confound history.
WALES: G Thomas; R Williams, M Taylor, I Harris, S Williams; S Jones, G Cooper; I Thomas, R McBryde, G Jenkins, B Cockbain, M Owen,J Thomas, C Charvis (capt), D Jones,
FRANCE: N Brusque; V Clerc, Y Jauzion, D Traille, C Dominici; F Michalak, JB Elissalde; S Marconnet, W Servat, P de Villiers F Pelous (capt), P Pape, S Betsen, I Harinordoquy, T Lievremont.
Referee: Stuart Dickinson (Australia)
