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Following the annual International Rugby competitions, the Guinness 6 Nations will once again see France take on Wales on Friday 1st February 2019. The opener is one of the highly-anticipated fixtures of the championship as it brings back some memories of the heated 2017 match that saw France snatch victory after 100 minutes.
As many might say, the match was controversial and emotional during the extra 20-minutes. The same cannot be out-ruled as more pressure is expected on the Welsh side who are facing a rough time with injured players in six nations rugby 2019 championship.
The fans aren’t expecting a let-down from the long-awaited meeting that has an admired history in the world of rugby. This suggests why the results from this match might have some unseen effects on the rest of the fixtures. The match will be held at Stade de France, Paris.
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What’s the Kick off – France vs Wales Rugby
France host Wales to play the opening match of the six nations 2019 championship on 1st February at the Stade de France in Paris exact 8:00pm (GMT Time). This match will be shown live on BBC.
More details – France vs Wales Rugby Live match
Date: Friday, 1st February 2019
Venue: Stade de France, Paris
Kick Off: 8:00pm (GMT)
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
TV Coverage: BBC, FR2, S4C, DMAX, NB
How to Watch France vs Wales Rugby Online
The Six Nations Opener is a well-anticipated game that will see either of the teams try to secure a win as they set to impress the tournament title. The game will start at 21.00 (local time) and will be aired live via online broadcasts or through the live streaming Apps.
Six Nations every Wales game will be shown on BBC & S4C. In France every match will be broadcasting on FR2. If you have any subscription plan on BBC or ITV, you can watch all of the six nations rugby matches live stream from anywhere.
Some sites also offer free and premium subscriptions (like: www.livestreamrugby.com) where you get to watch various rugby sports for FREE in real time in the comfort of your home.
France vs. Wales Rugby Team News
As France targets to secure the winning points ahead of the much-anticipated opening game, it’s evident that the Welsh team is also eying one of the most envied titles of 2019. As seen from the level of organization that the two teams have had recently and drawing conclusion from the past head to head matches; it can be hard to predict how the teams would perform.
France Team
A look ahead of the tournament confirms that both teams will suffer some blend of exceptional and tactical plays as they lose some of their key players to injuries. The French team will have new faces on the pitch as replacements for some of the notable back-row forwards and center wings who are nursing their injuries sustained during the last year matches.
One of the new players into the team include the South-African born Paul Willemse, a former Bulls’ second-row forward. The Pretoria native qualified to the team due to his physical attributes which Jacques Brunel added that it would bring in a good continuity to the play.
The other new signings into the French national team include Roman Ntamack and Utility-back Thomas Ramos. The former is a fly-half and a no-surprise signing as he has shown high potential in his career after emerging the world under-20 champion in 2018. Gregory Alldritt( second-row) and Dorian Aldegheri (prop) are the other new players listed in the 31-man French national squad.
Some of the key players who will miss out in the tournament include the Fijian-born wing; Alivereti Raka who is away due to a hand injury, second-row Yoann Maestri, wingman Teddy Thomas, and the notorious flanker Mathieu Babillot.
Captain Guilhem Guirado will definitely have some challenging times coordinating his team against the daring 15-Welsh on the other side of the pitch.
Let’s take a look at the Wales International team formation, injury list, and medical updates ahead of the 2019 Six Nations Campaigns.
Wales Team
Just a few weeks before the opening match and Warren Gatland is undoubtedly in his final hours of drafting what is speculated to be a 36-man squad. The renowned coach is also expected to step aside for new leadership after the World Cup tournament. This is an opportunity for Gatland to pull out the best of his team while embracing a chance to avenge their controversial and narrow 2017 Paris-defeat.
Gatland is expected to name those who will qualify to join the team next week Tuesday. Keeping in mind that majority of the players are nursing injuries sustained from last year fixtures, it would be a bit challenging for the coach to come up with a 39-man squad.
Wales have some real-injury headaches and fitness issues to contend with facing France in their Paris Opener. The team’s injury list has some of the best forwards and backs and this poses a threat to the expected performance.
Some of the notable players who will be missing out include Faletau who’s yet to return after surgery done to reconstruct his fractured forearm. Jenkins will also be a non-starter during the tournament as a Flanker as he is yet to recover fully following tendon damage he picked on November 24th playing against South Africa.
Another key player, Aaron Shingler isn’t expected to train any soon; not before the Six Nations following a long-term ACL injury. The scarlet’s back-rower was expected to show up at the beginning of January but turned out he needed a clean-out operation before starting the rehabilitation program.
The abrasive back-rower, Ross Moriarty will also be missing the tournament after suffering a head injury while playing against Clermont. The other players nursing their injuries include; Ollie Griffiths, Patchell Rhys, Josh Adams, Jake Ball, and Adam Beard. With the exception of the above list, Gatland will have to repeatedly revise his squad to ensure he gets a solid team that will push through to the finals.
Line-Ups of Wales vs France Rugby
Wales squad
Forwards: Rob Evans, Wyn Jones, Nicky Smith, Elliot Dee, Ryan Elias, Ken Owens, Leon Brown, Tomas Francis, Samson Lee, Dillon Lewis, Jake Ball, Adam Beard, Seb Davies, Cory Hill, Alun Wyn Jones (captain) Ross Moriarty, Josh Navidi, Justin Tipuric, Josh Turnbull, Aaron Wainwright, Thomas Young.
Backs: Aled Davies, Gareth Davies, Tomos Williams, Gareth Anscombe, Dan Biggar, Jarrod Evans, Rhys Patchell, Jonathan Davies, Hadleigh Parkes, Owen Watkin, Scott Williams, Josh Adams, Hallam Amos , Steffan Evans, Leigh Halfpenny, Jonah Holmes, George North, Liam Williams.
France Squad
Forwards: Dorian Aldegheri, Gregory Alldritt, Uini Atonio, Demba Bamba, Pierre Bourgarit, Yacouba Camara, Guilhem Guirado (capt), Arthur Iturria, Felix Lambey, Wenceslas Lauret, Bernard Le Roux, Julien Marchand, Louis Picamoles, Jefferson Poirot, Dany Priso, Sebastien Vahaamahina, Paul Willemse.
Backs: Mathieu Bastareaud, Anthony Belleau, Geoffrey Doumayrou, Antoine Dupont, Gael Fickou, Wesley Fofana, Yoann Huget, Camille Lopez, Maxime Medard, Romain Ntamack, Morgan Parra, Damian Penaud, Thomas Ramos, Baptiste Serin
Wales vs France Rugby Head to Head Comparison
When it comes to the team’s individual performances during their last head-to-head meetings, it goes without saying that this opener will be highly competitive if not so unpredictable. In a total of 96 head-to-head appearances; France has secured 44 straight wins while the Welsh counterparts have emerged victorious 49 times.
This means that the Frenchmen have lost in 49 of these appearances and have drawn in only three fixtures. When it comes to the number of tries, Wales are ahead with 181 while French has 162. Table
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| Venue | Played | Won-Wales | Won-France | Drawn | Wales P. | France P. |
| In Wales | 49 | 30 | 17 | 2 | 852 | 665 |
| In France | 45 | 19 | 25 | 1 | 575 | 656 |
| Other | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 60 |
| Overall | 96 | 49 | 44 | 3 | 1435 | 1381 |
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Conclusion
As all roads lead to Paris for the annual Six Nations opener, much is expected from the two teams who have had more than a controversial past. It will be business unusual, as the two opponents of the same caliber meet yet in a set of varying environments.
The Welsh will be handicapped by their ill-fated form that saw nearly 18 players injured. It won’t however, come as a surprise if the French team fails to convert their chances at their home ground. Warren Gatland is renowned for his tactical gameplay and has never failed to pull a surprise during such crucial occasions.
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