RECAP: Wales v France
READERS’ FORUM: Welcome to the World Cup quarterfinal match between Wales and France.
READ: Wales lose star player ahead of kick-off
France will need to raise their game “two or three times over” to beat Wales on Sunday.
This is the view of to their veteran fullback Maxime Medard.
“If we don’t raise our level, the Welsh are going to ride all over us,” he said.
Call it gamesmanship or call it honesty, but Medard has no qualms about casting Les Bleus as the underdogs.
Prediction: There is no doubt Wales are the favourites, but you never write the French off. If they decide to switch on, they can beat anybody. We feel Wales will win an arm-wrestle by 10 points.
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Teams
Wales: 15 Liam Williams, 14 George North, 13 Owen Watkin 12 Hadleigh Parkes, 11 Josh Adams, 10 Dan Biggar, 9 Gareth Davies, 8 Josh Navidi, 7 Justin Tipuric, 6 Aaron Wainwright, 5 Alun Wyn Jones (captain), 4 Jake Ball, 3 Tomas Francis, 2 Ken Owens, 1 Wyn Jones.
Replacements: 16 Elliot Dee, 17 Rhys Carre, 18 Dillon Lewis, 19 Adam Beard, 20 Ross Moriarty, 21 Tomos Williams, 22 Rhys Patchell, 23 Leigh Halfpenny.
France: 15 Maxime Medard, 14 Damian Penaud, 13 Virimi Vakatawa, 12 Gael Fickou, 11 Yoann Huget, 10 Romain Ntamack, 9 Antoine Dupont, 8 Gregory Alldritt, 7 Charles Ollivon, 6 Wenceslas Lauret, 5 Sebastien Vahaamahina, 4 Bernard Le Roux, 3 Rabah Slimani, 2 Guilhem Guirado (captain), 1 Jefferson Poirot.
Replacements: 16 Cyril Baille, 17 Camille Chat, 18 Emerick Setiano, 19 Paul Gabrillagues, 20 Louis Picamoles, 21 Baptiste Serin, 22 Camille Lopez, 23 Vincent Rattez.
Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Nic Berry (Australia), Paul Williams (New Zealand)
TMO: Marius Jonker (South Africa)
