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What Fabien Galthie is expecting from a Johnny-Sexton-less Ireland
By PA
France head coach Fabien Galthie does not expect Ireland to modify their offensive style of play in the absence of injured captain Johnny Sexton.
Les Bleus were preparing for fly-half Sexton to lead the Irish in Paris this weekend before he was ruled out by a hamstring issue on Thursday morning and replaced by Joey Carbery.
Saturday evening’s mouth-watering Stade de France clash is already being touted as a potential Guinness Six Nations title decider, with both sides in form and producing free-flowing rugby.
“We worked on Ireland and prepared for the game with him at fly-half,” Galthie said of Sexton.
“What we saw against Wales (last weekend) and New Zealand (in the autumn) he was their playmaker, their lead, their captain.
“We think this team are very structured, they have a very serene gameplan, they will keep that style of attack.
“We imagine they will keep the same fundamentals, attack and defence-wise despite the absence of Johnny Sexton.”
Les Bleus have made two changes to the starting XV which recovered from a slow start to defeat Italy 37-10 last weekend.
Centre Yoram Moefana will make his maiden championship start in place of the injured Jonathan Danty, while Francois Cros replaces Dylan Cretin in the back row.
Ireland are seeking a 10th consecutive win and Galthie is braced for a major test.
“It will be a solid match for us, Ireland arrive with a good run of victories, with the status of European number one and third in the world, therefore they are the best European adversary at the moment,” he said.
“They come to Paris with the same ambition as us: to win.
“Clearly Saturday we are touching the summit of European rugby, the sublime side of European rugby.
“Our opponent is hugely admired by followers of rugby therefore all that obliges us to have the will power and the belief to raise our levels in all respects”.
France team: M Jaminet (Perpignan), D Penaud (Clermont), G Fickou (Racing 92), Y Moefana (Bordeaux), G Villiere (Toulon); R Ntamack (Toulouse), A Dupont (Toulouse); C Baille (Toulouse), J Marchand (Toulouse), U Atonio (La Rochelle), C Woki (Bordeaux), P Willemse (Montpellier), F Cros (Toulouse), A Jelonch (Toulouse), G Alldritt (La Rochelle).
Replacements: P Mauvaka (Toulouse), J-B Gros (Toulon), D Bamba (Lyon), R Taofifenua (Lyon), T Flament (Toulouse), D Cretin (Lyon), M Lucu (Bordeaux), T Ramos (Toulouse).
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Latest Comments
It is if he thinks he’s got hold of the ball and there is at least one other player between him and the ball carrier, which is why he has to reach around and over their heads. Not a deliberate action for me.
Go to commentsI understand, but England 30 years ago were a set piece focused kick heavy team not big on using backs.
Same as now.
South African sides from any period will have a big bunch of forwards smashing it up and a first five booting everything in their own half.
NZ until recently rarely if ever scrummed for penalties; the scrum is to attack from, broken play, not structured is what we’re after.
Same as now.
These are ways of playing very ingrained into the culture.
If you were in an English club team and were off to Fiji for a game against a club team you’d never heard of and had no footage of, how would you prepare?
For a forward dominated grind or would you assume they will throw the ball about because they are Fijian?
A Fiji way. An English way.
An Australian way depends on who you’ve scraped together that hasn’t been picked off by AFL or NRL, and that changes from generation to generation a lot of the time.
Actually, maybe that is their style. In fact, yes they have a style.
Nevermind. Fuggit I’ve typed it all out now.
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