The French know their three straight victories over Wales will not matter one bit when the long-time rivals meet in the World Cup semi-final at Eden Park on Saturday.
Since beating England in the quarter-final last weekend, the French have studied videos of Wales’ matches in the pressure-packed tournament and they’ve gained a new respect for their opponents.
“That team is really very confident. We have seen it on the videos,” scrum half Dimitri Yachvili said. “They are playing well and they have been very confident since the beginning of the competition.
“They have not changed their team much since the beginning of the competition. They know one another very well. They know how the other guy is going to react and play, so we will have to put a lot of pressure on them.”
And that’s not all the French have taken note of.
Welsh dynamism
“They are very dynamic on the field. Even when they are in difficulty, they always manage to get around it, so we will have to deal with that,” added winger Vincent Clerc. “We will have to be really good in the rucks and the scrums.
“This Welsh team have very powerful players. They are very mobile on the field and the three-quarters manage to put more speed on the outside and they manage to move forward and keep possession of the ball as long as possible.
“Even when there is a counter-attack, they manage to turn it over to their advantage. When they are in difficulty, they manage to find a space to find a way out and that is their strong point. It allows them to have a variety of game tactics.”
The match marks the 89th time Wales and France have met in a Test and there is little to separate them. The Welsh have won 43 times, the French 42 and there have been three draws. Wales also have a 1297-1295 edge in the points total.
Major accomplishment
The French answered their critics with the triumph over England. They turned in the type of performance people expected from a team that, on paper, is one of the world’s best.
And Les Bleus know nothing less than the same effort will do against Wales.
“Last week was not a major accomplishment. We just played at our real level and there is no reason why we can’t have the same performance this week,” said Yachvili.
“Little details will make the difference. You can train for hours, rehearse all your systems and everything depends on the commitment to effort,”said prop Jean-Baptiste Poux.
The status of Yachvili may be of concern for the French. He’s the squad’s main kicker and he suffered a contusion to his left thigh last week.
“Yes,” he admitted, “there is a risk I won’t kick.’