Bullish Elissalde says Wales can’t match French for class

FRANCE scrumhalf Jean-Baptiste Elissalde maintains his side have nothing to fear as they head to Cardiff bidding to snatch the RBS 6 Nations Championship title from Wales.

Les Bleus have brought back their big guns for the game though, with head coach Marc Lievremont going for experience over youth for a change and naming arguably his strongest side of the tournament.

Elissalde sees no reason why his team-mates should be afraid, especially given their strong record against Wales in recent years.

“The Welsh are still the Welsh,” said the Toulouse number nine, whose country have won their last four meetings against the Principality at the Millennium Stadium.

“We haven’t lost over there for ages. And in the preparation match for the World Cup, they conceded 30-odd points to us (France won 34-7 in Cardiff).

“Their players haven’t changed, just the staff. Their focus is more channelled but looking at the level of their rugby and ours, there isn’t normally a comparison.

“We mustn’t let ourselves get submerged by the wave of red that is going to crash into us at the start of the match, especially as there is no reason to be worried.

“This isn’t the All Blacks or the Australians we are talking about here. We mustn’t go there feeling we are going to be the victims, rather the favourites.”

History may be on France’s side, but Wales have undoubtedly been the team of the tournament so far.

And they will start as favourites to not only prevent Les Bleus from winning by the necessary margin, but to wrap up a 10th Five/Six Nations Grand Slam.

But with the whole country willing Gatland’s men on, the weight of pressure will be on the hosts.

The French know to their dismay what expectancy can do to a team. As hosts of last year’s World Cup, they imploded in both the opening match against Argentina and the semi-final against England in pressure-cooker atmospheres.

Elissalde reckons the same could happen to the Welsh this weekend.

“It is up to us to ignore everything that is surrounding the match. We saw in the World Cup that we caved in with all the emotion and you can freeze in your own backyard,” he said.

“I hope that it will be the same with the Welsh. They are playing for the Grand Slam in front of their own public — that doesn’t happen to them very often.

“It can be a source of extreme motivation, but it can also affect them as well.”

Elissalde, nonetheless, admits it will be a tough ask for France to claim a third Six Nations title in a row.

“To go and put 20 points on the Welsh, with the confidence they have at the moment, is not impossible but very tricky,” he said.

“We will go there to play well and to win because we are competitors.

“If things smile on us, if we are lucky enough to take the match by the scruff of the neck and get in front, perhaps we will have the chance to go for the kill.”