Looking forward to this for a casual watch.
Don't expect a match of course which is disappointing in what has been arguably the most entertaining fixture in the 6n era.
But if there's a team that make a one sided game nearly as entertaining as a close one it's France.
Hoping from a Welsh POV that this is the end of Gatland, I can get on board a resurgence once he goes. He's only been delighted to make himself the most hated man to Irish rugby fans over the years so I don't care for now!
I don't understand the hysterical hatred of Gatland, what he's accomished has been incredible, he's incredibly well respected by almost every single person he's worked with, a few gobby hobbies aside, and the loyalty he's shown to players and teams over the years is incredibly impressive (even if I didn't agree with is sometimes).
All the media furore is laughable, there isn't a coach in world rugby who would have done a better job than he did with his first wales stint, or even since his return.
When you consider he returned months before a RWC, had to deal with player threats to strike, change in leadership, numerous controversies, a lack of talent, and finally, the thing very few people have talked about, the missing of key players.
I was chatting to a colleague recently and he made the claim Wales have had a horror 2 years since the RWC player wise, and when we talked it through he had a valuable point...
1. Wales had 8 retirements after the RWC (and 3 key ones just before). Now this isn't unusual, but 11 in 1 season is a lot. Compare that to England's 3 (I think).
2. Left Wales/became unavailable. LRZ obviously left rugby, but at least 5 other key players moved and became inelligible basically, to either Japan, France, or in the case of Hawkins England.
3. Injury issues. Numerous important players have had ongoing injury issues for 2 years, Falatau and Adam's both first choice have essentially been sideline for all that period, Beard, Lake, Elias, Grady, are all sidelined now, Leon Brown who would have been an upgrade on any other tight head has been retired through injury leading into his peak years, young up and comers have been hampered like Mann, Mathias and recently O'connor through injuries.
So by my reckoning Wales lost 17+ players in a period of just over a season, have had 5/6 long term injuries over 2 seasons to key players, and currently have at least 6/7 starters missing.
Wales havnt just gone into meltdown pre RWC internally, or had a player drain, or had an injury crisis, or even started a rebuild, they have all these issues ongoing at the same time.
I said post RWC, Gatland, (and Borthwick) did incredibly well to stable a sinking ship 2023, and has gone on a 12 game losing streak after losing nearly half a match day squad to retirement, most of that squad being leaders, then losing another half a squad to injuries, a few key players tipped for stardom, and replacing them with a talent pool of players who have played about as many pro games as my nan did, and in 3 or 4 occasions players who my dead nan has won as many professional games of rugby as they had at the time!
Look at Cam Winnet, full back for all of that 12 game streak basically, and until recently had never beaten a non Welsh team, either with Cardiff, U20s or Wales.
Reports state that Gatland has literally had to revert to coaching basic skills in international camps!!!
Fingers crossed Gatland is setting the infrastructure and platform for the next coach to be successful, as he did at the chiefs, because winning many of these games since the RWC were always going to be impossible, even targeting Italys regenerated side, and Fijis golden generation we were underdogs.
Rant over
