Wales v France Betting Tips
With both teams having disappointing Six Nations thus far, who will make a revival in Cardiff?
The game taking place on a Sunday afternoon doesn't exactly add excitement, and overall, the match lacks a certain vibrancy. Wales is struggling, presenting perhaps their weakest team since the era when many of their players switched to Rugby League in the 1980s and 90s. Similarly, France seems to be a shadow of its former self, a team that was ranked first in the world and entered a home World Cup with high expectations less than two years ago. Their performance has been underwhelming, with only a lucky win against Scotland, a historic loss to Ireland, and a surprising draw with Italy, placing them in the lower half of the standings.
Fabian Galthie faces significant pressure to improve the team's performance, and while a victory in Cardiff might be expected, those hoping for a more thrilling match than the 13-9 win at the Principality Stadium in 2022 might find themselves disappointed. Frankly, this championship has been subpar for both viewers and analysts alike. Following a successful World Cup, a downturn was perhaps inevitable, and indeed, the championship has seen a decline, with the lowest aggregate points in the first three rounds since 2019. We don't foresee this match reversing that trend. Wales has relied on penalty tries for scoring, indicative of their struggles, while France's attack has noticeably weakened, as seen in Damian Penaud's performance.
Shaun Edwards may be the key for the French as he has not lost in the last 5 attempts coaching against the Welsh. Edwards stated:
"We know they are going to test us for the full 80 minutes, they'll want a high-tempo game and will test our fitness,"
"The first game was the first time in the four years I have been here that I thought we didn't perform anywhere near our best,"
"We have had losses before but they have been by smaller margins. To win against Scotland away from home was pleasing, it's a difficult place to go and win.
"It was disappointing not to win against Italy, but from a defensive point of view, we have only conceded two tries in the last two matches and conceded 16 and 13 points respectively.
"Hopefully we can continue to improve because the first game was not a good example of the French defence."
The absence of key players like Antoine Dupont, Romain Ntamack, and Mathieu Jalibert has severely impacted France, limiting Penaud's opportunities to score. From setting a record with 14 tries in 2023, Penaud has managed only one this year, risking a scoring drought. Galthie is taking a chance by introducing three new players in the starting lineup and another on the bench, yet France is expected to maintain Wales's winless streak in a likely low-scoring affair. Emmanuel Meafou, the newcomer in the second row, along with a robust French forward pack, will be key to France's strategy. Wales aims to challenge them with speed, but the effectiveness of their attacks remains uncertain. It might be wise to anticipate a low-scoring game and adjust expectations accordingly.
Wales remains the only team without a victory in this year's Six Nations, suffering three losses. Led by Warren Gatland, the team faces France while positioned at the bottom of the standings, a stark contrast to their World Cup quarter-finals appearance just a few months prior.
This game is difficult to choose a winner so is the draw an option? The draw is 22/1 so it may be worth a look at. However the bookies have the French 4/11 favorites away n Cardiff and this is quite telling. So a low scoring French win is on the cards.
Wales v France Betting Tips
Outright
France - 4/7
Total Points
Under 45.5 - 10/11