Welsh stand in way of French Grand Slam

Neil Boobyer makes his Five Nations debut for Wales at Wembley tomorrow but the Llanelli centre was understandably muted after the team trained there yesterday morning.

Boobyer's gain is Allan Bateman's loss, the Lions player pulling out of the match on compassionate grounds. For three nights Bateman had been at the bedside of his six-year-old daughter Naomi, who has a serious eye complaint.

Wales, in attempting to stop France achieving a first back-to-back Grand Slam, will now be without the fulcrum of their side, the two Lions centres Bateman and Scott Gibbs, who misses his second successive match with a shoulder injury. But even in Wales, where interest in the national team has sometimes verged on hysteria, this is not a tragedy.

The spinal injury last autumn which wrecked the life of Wales's then captain Gwyn Jones, and now the setback to the Bateman family, put the match in perspective.

Kevin Bowring, the Wales coach, said: "Even those of us who are now making a living out of the sport recognise that a game of rugby is of no consequence compared to the problems Allan is facing.

"It is disappointing he will not be playing but we support his decision and have to continue to focus on beating France. The centre is one position where we have strength in depth.

"Neil has been training with the squad all week and I am confident he will do himself justice. He offers a different type of threat but his skills will complement Leigh Davies's. Neil has got a handling skill and a vision to release other players around him and also brings a kicking dimension at centre which might prove very useful."

Boobyer's place on the bench has been taken by Pontypridd's Dafydd James. "It can be frustrating being understudy to two British Lions," admitted Boobyer. "But it has helped training with them and other Lions in the Welsh squad. I have learned a lot.

"It is very unfortunate for Allan, but this is an opportunity for me and one I have to make the most of. I think I have been playing quite well week in, week out, but there is so much strength in depth at centre.

"It is going to be a huge task for us against the French, but after the victories against Ireland and Scotland there is a lot more confidence in the squad.

"France are one of the top five or six nations in the world and it would be a great scalp if we could beat them. I think then that people would start believing we are a major force in world rugby."

But the loss of Bateman is a blow to Wales, who face a French side unchanged from that which under-performed in scraping an 18-16 victory against Ireland in Paris a month ago. That same day Bateman was Man of the Match when Wales won their last match at Wembley 19-13 against Scotland.

Wales were already facing a formidable task tomorrow to win their third successive home match. The French pack was disrupted in the set piece by the Irish but the front row of Christian Califano, the captain Raphael Ibanez and Franck Tournaire will surely give the Welsh an uncomfortable afternoon.

Wales's hopes rest on the shoulders of their half-backs Robert Howley and Neil Jenkins, who controlled things admirably in the 30-21 win in Dublin a fortnight ago. If Jenkins, now in his favourite position at fly-half, scores 15 points tomorrow he will have doubled Paul Thorburn's then record points total of 304 which he passed four years ago.

A former Wales out-half, Jonathan Davies watched Jenkins train yesterday. "I think Neil played his best for a long while against Ireland. I wish he would stand deeper and run on to the ball more as he does with Pontypridd but his kicking and defensive work really matter to Wales."

Bowring's men were the last team to defeat the French - in Cardiff two years ago - and only narrowly lost out in Paris 12 months ago.

"We still have a point to prove after the disappointing start to the Five Nations and this is the game where we can prove it," said Bowring.

The power of the French pack and their try-scoring potential in their threequarters, though, should ensure that second successive Grand Slam with something to spare. Wales would then finish in the middle of the Five Nations table, their true ranking in this company.

Meanwhile, England's leading clubs have agreed to send a letter to Cliff Brittle, warning him that they will break off negotiations over competition structures unless he withdraws his threat to withhold grants and sponsors' money worth £2.5 million a season, writes Robert Armstrong.

The 12 Premiership One clubs are expected to announce further details of next season's enhanced league programme - which Brittle, the chairman of the Rugby Football Union's management board, has rejected - after a meeting on Monday.

So far the clubs have shown little enthusiasm for a proposal by Keith Barwell, the Northampton chairman, that they break away from the RFU and operate as a wholly independent body through English First Division Rugby Limited. Legal counsel has advised the clubs that they have little to fear from Brittle's money threat, which it appears could be resisted by seeking an injunction in the High Court in London.