Wales’ Six Nations Woes Continue as France Dominates in Record Low Crowd
The Welsh rugby union team is facing a stark reality after a crushing 54-12 defeat to France in the Six Nations, a match played before the smallest Six Nations crowd in Cardiff’s history. Despite the significant margin of loss, coach Steve Tandy insists the team is showing signs of improvement, even as the path to recovery appears arduous. France, demonstrating clinical efficiency, ran in eight tries to record their highest-ever points tally against Wales and their most dominant victory in the Welsh capital.
This latest setback follows a dismal 48-7 opening weekend loss to England, a performance Tandy believes was significantly bettered in the clash with the French. However, the Welsh defence was ultimately no match for a formidable French outfit that capitalised on every opportunity.
“It definitely did feel like a step forward,” acknowledged Tandy, a former defence coach for the NSW Waratahs. “I don’t think we threw many punches last week. We had moments in this game and discipline was much better. The set-piece, the scrum, was excellent. We won a lot of lineout ball. We probably could have scored a few more tries, but there was more to see in terms of where we can go as a team.”
France established an early 19-0 lead. Just before halftime, Wales managed to narrow the deficit to 19-7, sparking a glimmer of hope. However, a conceded try moments before the break significantly shifted the momentum back in France’s favour.
“I was really disappointed with the last couple of minutes of the first half,” Tandy admitted. “The boys’ effort and the way they worked, coming in at 19-7 would have been a good moment and probably a transitional moment for us. We got a good turnover at the breakdown where it might have been a chance to change that field position. But it’s part of the journey we’re on.”
A Bleak Picture at the Principality Stadium
The Principality Stadium hosted a record low Six Nations crowd of 57,744 spectators, with a substantial portion of those in attendance being vocal French supporters.
Tandy appealed to Welsh fans for continued support, acknowledging the challenging immediate future for the team. “It’s not where we want to be as a team, particularly the scoreline,” he stated. “But ultimately we are at this point of our journey. It’s about looking at where we have improved from last week and keep building, because it isn’t a quick fix. It’s our job as a team to get the supporters here. The public has been amazingly supportive, I think they understand what part of the journey we’re on.”
French Flair and Welsh Struggles
Matthieu Jalibert was the orchestrator for France, delivering a masterclass at flyhalf. His performance was instrumental in France’s victory, propelling them to the top of the Six Nations table with a perfect 10 points. France stands as the sole team to have secured victories in both of their opening matches. In stark contrast, Wales languishes at the bottom of the standings, having conceded an alarming 102 points thus far.
The French offensive was further bolstered by winger Theo Attissogbe, who notched two tries, and debutant centre Fabien Brau-Boirie, who also crossed the try line. For Wales, this marked their 13th consecutive loss in the Six Nations. Once a formidable force in international rugby, Wales has managed only two wins in their last 25 Test matches, with both victories coming against Japan.
“Very pleased with the performance and that we got the bonus point,” commented France centre Emilien Gailleton. “We had a lot of ball to carry, so we were pleased with that.”
Jalibert’s impact was undeniable, with his astute kicking and ability to exploit space proving a constant threat to the Welsh defence. “It was an outstanding performance (from Jalibert), with his special kicks. He is an amazing player.”
Defensive Frailties Expose Wales
The defensive vulnerabilities of the Welsh team have been a recurring theme in the past year. They have conceded over 50 points on multiple occasions, including a 68-point drubbing by England, 52 by Argentina, 52 by New Zealand, and 73 by South Africa.
In the recent match against France, Wales missed a staggering 31 tackles, resulting in an overall tackle success rate of just 68%. Until Tandy can implement a more robust defensive structure, the team is likely to continue struggling.
“We were a lot better than last week (a 48-7 loss to England) but there is still a lot to work on in our game,” admitted Wales captain Dewi Lake. “It is always a privilege to put this jersey on, that will never change. But morale comes from the scoreboard, the disappointment. We will be happier with what we put out on the field this week.”
The dwindling crowd figures are a growing concern for the financially strained Welsh Rugby Union. “Ultimately it is our job to want to make people want to come and watch games,” Lake acknowledged. “We are a side that is not getting results but we are growing as a team.”
Other Six Nations Results
In other Six Nations action, Scotland secured a significant upset, defeating England 31-20. Ireland also registered a win, overcoming Italy 20-13. This victory for Scotland came after an unexpected loss to Italy in the opening round.
Melbourne-raised Scotland captain Sione Tuipulotu expressed his pride in the team’s performance. “I’m extremely proud,” he said. “To go through what we went through last week really hurt and we understood because we deserved it. Ultimately Italy were better than us. We really felt like our backs were against the wall and we showed up today. I felt guilty. Head coaching is a hard job because when it is going well you get all the positives but when it is not going well you get all of the criticism. We got behind our coach (Gregor Townsend) this week. I’m proud of the boys for getting behind our coach and delivering a performance.”
