France vs Wales: What To Expect From The Hosts?

Rhodri Evans
Men’s international rugby returns in February with the Six Nations, as Wales face trips to Paris, Rome, and Edinburgh as well as welcoming England and Ireland to the Principality Stadium.
Having only won two non-test matches since the 2023 World Cup and earning the unwanted accolade of the Wooden Spoon at the Six Nations, Wales are in desperate need of a victory.
Standing in the way of that goal – and the chance of a trophy or two! – are five teams that pose entirely different questions to Wales and Warren Gatland.
What will Wales have to overcome in order to register a first test win since the World Cup and who should be on fans’ radars ahead of each game? Read on to find out!
France
Fixture: Stade de France, Saint-Denis, Friday 31st January, 20:15
World Ranking: 4th (Wales are 11th)
2024 Six Nations Performance: 2nd
DragonBet Odds To Win: 13/8
Head Coach: Fabien Galthié
Recent Form:
France won all three of their Autumn Internationals, starting with a dominant 52-12 victory over Eddie Jones’s Japan. Louis Bielle-Biarrey scored a brace in that match, marking the beginning of a remarkable run of form from the Bordeaux Beagles wing.
‘LBB’ would cross again the next week, this time in one of the matches of the season, a 30-29 victory over New Zealand. Thomas Ramos stole the headlines that night, kicking 15 points and marshalling the side to great effect.
France’s final match of 2024 was a 37-23 win over a resurgent Argentina side, with the forward pack earning an excellent result.
Star Man: Romain Ntamack
Such is the quality in France’s squad, you could pick any number of talented players as their star man. Many readers will no doubt be asking why Antoine Dupont, perhaps the best player of the 2020s, has not been picked.
Ntamack is our man partly because of his partnership with Dupont. As club teammates, the two playmakers are a joy to watch in combination, and his return to international rugby will allow Thomas Ramos to return to his preferred fullback role.
Possessing one of the biggest boots in international rugby, Ntamack is such an elegant runner and has the vision and ability to pick a pass like no other: he is the full package.

One To Watch: Nolann le Garrec
It is easy to forget, but one of the main narratives of France’s 2024 Six Nations campaign was who should don the number nine shirt in the absence of Dupont, who was away playing sevens.
While Maxime Lucu was initially selected on account of his excellent form for Bordeaux, the clamour for le Garrec was loud and eventually heard by Galthié.
The Racing 92 scrumhalf finally got his first Six Nations start against Wales at the Principality, and immediately caught the eye with an audacious out-of-the-back, 40-yard reverse pass.
With the talent his possesses – now also taking place kicks ahead of Owen Farrell at club level – it is a shame that he will be on the bench behind Dupont for this campaign. Just imagine him against tired defences… a scary prospect!

Big Miss: Gael Fickou
In amongst France’s band of merry-making backs, Fickou is the cool, calm head guiding his younger, more excitable teammates through the biggest matches.
The centre is the team’s defensive leader so his role will have to be passed onto a less experienced member of the squad. Whether this will have a damaging impact on France’s chance of a title remains to be seen.
Jonathan Danty and Charles Ollivon, two of the unluckier players in recent times, are also out for France. Ollivon in particular has previously had long lay-offs due to shoulder and knee injuries, while Danty has not played for France in over a year due to injury.

Sportin Wales’s coverage of the men’s and U20’s Six Nations is proudly sponsored by S4C. You can watch all of Wales’s matches this spring for free on S4C and S4C Clic.
If you want to read more pieces from Sportin Wales, why not read to our monthly magazine here or subscribe to the magazine and newsletter at https://sportin.wales/subscribe/.
Our podcast is back for the new season and our co-founder Alex Cuthbert is in charge! You can find all the episodes here or the video versions on our YouTube channel.
You can also keep track of our pieces and videos on our socials at @Sportin_Wales on X or Sportin Wales on Instagram and Facebook.