Warren Gatland believes that Antoine Dupont’s absence from the Guinness Six Nations has proved “a massive loss” for France.
Les Bleus’ mercurial World Cup captain has joined the sevens circuit ahead of the Paris Olympics later this year.
And France have struggled without him, being beaten comprehensively by Six Nations title favourites Ireland and then drawing at home against Italy, either side of narrowly defeating Scotland.
They tackle Wales at the Principality Stadium on Sunday, when Gatland’s team will target a first Six Nations victory over them since 2019.
“It just shows when you are with a team – and we have been lucky enough with this in the past and it is the challenge going forward – that having two or three X-factor players in your team can make a massive difference,” Wales head coach Gatland said.
“Sometimes you get two relatively even teams, but it is the individual brilliance of someone who can change a game.
“There is no doubt for me that Dupont is a massive loss for them. He is probably the best player in the world.
“We have already seen what he has done with the French sevens team. They won the sevens tournament (in Los Angeles).
“(Romain) Ntamack is a big loss for them in terms of that nine-10 partnership. It is difficult to put your finger on it.
“They have made some changes. They have probably thought they don’t feel like they can win the Six Nations, so there is a chance to give players in their squad an opportunity.”
Whether Wales can take advantage of France’s current position remains to be seen.
Gatland’s team have yet to win in this season’s tournament, raising the potential scenario of a wooden-spoon decider against Italy next weekend if they do not triumph on Sunday.
It is 21 years since Wales last finished bottom of the Six Nations table, although they were fifth in three of the past four seasons.
Considerable interest will surround the appearance of a new centre pairing, with Six Nations debutant Joe Roberts partnering Owen Watkin after Gatland left out George North and Nick Tompkins.
And captain Dafydd Jenkins has been moved from lock to blindside flanker as Will Rowlands and Adam Beard team up in the second-row.
Gatland added: “We’ve spoken to the two boys (Roberts and Watkin) about their roles. They have got a chance to make a statement.
“The big thing for them – what I am looking for – is not about them playing, but them being vocal, making sure they communicate to the 10s and take that communication from the outside.
“That is a massive thing for us in terms of work-on, but also them realising how vocal they need to be in attack and defence.
“We had spoken early in the tournament about giving Daf that chance (at blindside). He was pretty excited when we did talk about it in one of the earlier games.
“When we said we were playing him at second-row, he joked we didn’t have the guts to put him in the back-row!
“It is a good chance as a young player to get that opportunity in a different position.
“We know what a big pack France will put out and particularly that first 20 or 30 minutes. They were really direct against Italy in that time and could have been three tries up.
“We have got to expect a real physical challenge, particularly in the early exchanges of the game.”
Wallabies will get things right before Lions tour, promises Rugby Australia chief
Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh is confident the Wallabies will be ready to compete with the British and Irish Lions next year, despite suffering the heaviest defeat in their Test history last time out.
Australia were crushed 67-27 by Argentina in the Rugby Championship last time out, their third defeat in four games in this year's tournament.
They were also dumped out of last year's Rugby World Cup in the pool stage following losses to Fiji and Wales, and they are down to ninth in the World Rugby Rankings.
The British and Irish Lions will face Australia in three Tests when they tour down under between June and August next year, with many fearing Joe Schmidt's team will be blown away.
Waugh, however, says there is plenty of time for the Wallabies to get things right before then, telling the Sydney Morning Herald: "You can see the progress is there.
"It is not nearly where we need it to be, but if we keep progressing at the speed with which we have moved things in the last six months, then there is plenty of time.
"It is a team that is, and I hate using the word 're-building', but it is a team that is re-setting, and it takes experience in big moments to get better.
"Obviously, the enormity of the scoreline in that second half was disappointing.
"But there is context that is important... we are not the most experienced team in world rugby, and we are building that experience."
Australia conclude their Rugby Championship campaign with two fixtures against New Zealand before the end of September, then face England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland in their Autumn International Tests in November.
De Bruyne launches scathing review after Belgium loss
Kevin De Bruyne hit out at Belgium following their 2-0 defeat to France on Monday, claiming they have "to be better in every way".
Ousmane Dembele ran the show for Les Bleus in their second Nations League match, scoring France's second after Randal Kolo Muani had opened the scoring in the first half.
Belgium, meanwhile, managed just nine shots in the game, with just two of those coming in a lacklustre first-half performance.
While De Bruyne refused to give any details of his half-time team talk, he did not hold back his criticism of the team.
"I can't say here what went wrong. I already did that to the team at half-time," he said.
"I cannot repeat that in the media, but it has to be better in every way. If the standard we want to reach is the best, but we're no longer good enough to get to that level, then you have to give everything.
"If you don't even do that, it's over.
"I can accept that we're not as good as in 2018 [when they reached the World Cup semi-finals].
"I was the first to see that, but other things are unacceptable. I'm not going to say what."
Belgium sit third in Group A2 after two games, level with France on three points.
Deschamps back Mbappe to end France dry spell
Didier Deschamps is confident Kylian Mbappe will regain his scoring touch soon and is not worried about his captain's current dry spell.
France got back to winning ways in the Nations League on Monday, beating Belgium 2-0 thanks to goals from Randal Kolo Muani and Ousmane Dembele, who put on an inspired display in Lyon.
Mbappe started on the bench and, after coming on, had four shots, two of which were on target, but failed to hit the back of the net for the fifth game in a row for Les Bleus.
At club level, Mbappe got off the mark for Real Madrid in LaLiga with a brace just before the international break, and Deschamps is confident he will be back to his free-scoring best sooner rather than later.
"Kylian feels good. Obviously, like almost all players, he is not yet at 100%," Deschamps told TF1.
"His dry spell? Knowing his demands on that... Kylian will score goals. We may have focused a little too much on him. It doesn't happen with the snap of a finger.
"But I repeat, the French team will always be stronger with him. I am convinced that in a month he will be better.
"There are very high demands in his club. With us, he fully assumes his role as captain, even when he is not playing. I have no worries with Kylian."
France endured an underwhelming Euro 2024 campaign before following it up with a disappointing loss to Italy in their Nations League opener last week.
Despite getting back to winning ways on Monday, the French fans made their frustration with the national team heard, directing boos and whistles at Deschamps during the match.
The 55-year-old was unfazed by the criticism but believes it will negatively affect the team as a whole going forward.
"I didn't hear the whistles," Deschamps added. "But you know, I'm not going to say that I was born with criticism, but it's part of the game, it's my responsibility, I'm immersed in everything that's happening.
"It doesn't have an influence on me, but on the players, the environment... When we come, we support the French team, so the whistles... That people are unhappy, disappointed, that they show it, why not, but now when the players are on the field... I don't think it's for the good of the French team."
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