Six Nations 2019: Wales need look no further than Tomos Williams for inspiration to knock down France
The French pack are more than a stone per man heavier than Warren Gatland’s side, but he expects the ‘competitive and combative’ scrum-half to set the tone for Wales in Paris
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Your support makes all the difference.Warren Gatland wore a broad smile last week when he first hinted at starting Cardiff Blues scrum-half Tomos Williams against France for what could be Wales’ defining game of the Six Nations on Friday night.
Gatland loves a scrapper and clearly sees in Williams just the kind of fighting spirit his team will need at the Stade de France when the tournament kicks off at 9pm local time.
“Tomos is a pretty talented young player and competitive and combative as well,” Gatland said. “He doesn’t back down to anything because of where he comes from, his background. He’s got the potential to keep developing and improving and could be something pretty special.”
Educated at Treorchy Comprehensive School in the Rhondda Valley, the 12st 4lb No 9 has forged the reputation for being tough, fast and skilful in a Blues backline also including Gareth Anscombe, who will partner him at fly half in Paris.
Perceived wisdom had seen Gareth Davies, who started all three of Wales “big” Tests of the autumn and was outstanding in last year’s Six Nations, start at scrum half for Wales against France.
But so good has Williams been for Blues, while Davies’s form has mirrored that of his struggling region Scarlets, that Gatland has opted to invite the 24-year-old to sink or swim in front of 80,000 people.
“Tomos has definitely got the X-factor,” said former Wales lock Robert Sidoli. “He’s very confident, intelligent and aggressive in what he sees. He’s probably the best example of the depth in the Welsh squad. There’s no chance of any complacency within that team.”
Williams will need all his battling qualities in only his third international start, with France coach Jacques Brunel pulling a surprise on Wednesday by omitting hulking centre Matthieu Bastareaud while naming a massive pack – even by modern professional rugby’s standards – weighing more than a stone a man more than Wales’.
With the lavishly gifted Wesley Fofana paired in midfield with exciting uncapped 19-year-old Romain Ntamack, the midfield battle with Hadleigh Parkes and Jonathan Davies will be fascinating, while Williams and Anscombe will look to gain the upper hand over their half-back opponents Camille Lopez and Morgan Parra.
Wherever the initiative is gained, it will not be achieved without a Herculean tussle up front, where France’s enormous physical presence, embodied in every sense by their 6ft 5in, 334lb tighthead prop, Uini Atonio, is sure to be felt at set piece, especially.
But by picking a backline so laden with pace and skill, Brunel has thrown down a different gauntlet to the one Gatland and his coaching team expected at they look to secure a 10th successive international win which would kickstart their campaign in perfect fashion.
While England coach Eddie Jones aimed a barb at the press on Thursday by saying “it’s well documented no-one thinks we can win” away to Ireland, Wales in some way have the opposite problem: a lot of people now believe they can win.
Expectation in Wales can be a heavy burden to carry.
Their Achilles heel in recent times has been winning big games away from home but the weight of expectation is now such that any hope Gatland may have had of heading into World Cup year unnoticed has long since vanished.
Even without a host of injured stars including No 8 Taulupe Faletau, flankers Dan Lydiate and Aaron Shingler, Wales still boast enough depth to pick a high-class back row of Ross Moriarty, Justin Tipuric and fit again Josh Navidi.
Blues flanker Navidi was one of the players of last year’s tournament after Sam Warburton retired but a nasty shoulder injury suffered in Blues European Challenge Cup semi-final win over Pau ruled him out of the summer tour and further injuries have dogged him since.
But at 28, the flanker should be heading into his prime and he is sure to be a pivotal figure in Friday.
Win, and Wales will looking forward to their trip to face Italy in Rome on Saturday week with a degree of relish while defeat would leave their hopes of earning Gatland a third and final Grand Slam dead in the water.
Much will depend on Williams and his half back partner Anscombe. We can expect quite a battle.
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