Wales face the French on Friday in Cardiff needed a win to keep their title hopes alive. The last time Wales invited France to Cardiff on a Friday night in 2010 the French came out on top. The year before when Wales travelled to Paris to play on a Friday night, the French won out again. The common denominator is clear; Wales do not like playing the Friday night games. France particularly like the Friday night fixture as they are used to it with their club rugby. In Wales we are far more used to a Saturday or Sunday game, if the fixture is on a Friday it is far earlier that 8pm.
This certainly has an effect on the players, in the modern game they are machines are in a routine of playing, resting, training before playing the following week. The French routine is different to the Welsh and they will be used to this week’s routine. The Welsh players however, have lost a day of training before the biggest game of their championship so far. They will have to hope that it does not impact too much on the performance.
Although the omens go France's way and they have won two from two in the Six Nations this year, they have been far from impressive. They have showed what they can do in patches but not been consistently good for 80 minutes. The French gave away 16 penalties against Italy and had the Italian possessed a more potent goal-kicker they could have turned that game in a different direction. France will know that they can cough up that many penalties to the boot of Leigh Halfpenny or else Wales could be out of sight.
It promises to be a bruising affair on Friday night with the big men packing the midfield. With Roberts, North and Bastareaud all playing in the centre it will be an evening full of big hits. It may not be an evening for the 'Cheetah' Wesley Fofana's running ability; he may spend a lot of the evening being run at by Wales' centre giants. Roberts and North will not want to run at Bastareaud and so his centre partner may have to take a heavy night.
Rhys Webb has been called up to replace Mike Phillip. A big game for Webb to make his first Welsh start but if he plays his natural game as he did for the Ospreys against Treviso last weekend he will get Wales firing. He will look to snipe at every opportunity; he knows only a big performance will keep him in the 9 shirt for the next game against England.
It promises to be a great atmosphere inside the Millennium Stadium, with the roof shut and the lights on it will be show time on Friday night. There will be no excuses in the weather and both sides will want to show what they can do, particularly Wales who are yet to perform in this year’s Six Nations. Wales will have to warm to the Friday night fixture better than they have in the past to beat a formidable French side.
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