These are your rugby headlines on Friday, March 17.
Gatland: We have long way to go
Warren Gatland says that his Wales team are a long way off where they need to be as his first Six Nations back in charge comes to a close.
It's been a testing tournament for Wales, with three defeats from four matches overshadowed by the threat of strike action as the uncertainty over contracts for next season and beyond has come to a head.
Earlier in the tournament, Gatland had admitted that his side were not nailing the big moments that you tend to do when winning is little more than a habit. Back in 2019, that was the case - with a lengthy winning run taking them to a Grand Slam, number one in the world and another run to a World Cup semi-final.
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That run was defined by smart, streetwise performances by Wales where they always did just enough to win. However, in this year's Six Nations, those same big moments haven't fallen their way - be it a lost lineout in an attacking position or a fluffed 22 entry.
And when asked how far he felt his side were away from consistently being able to nail those big moments in games, Gatland was candid in his assessment.
"A long way, at the moment," he said ahead of the clash with France. "Yeah, we’ve got a lot of work to do in terms of that.
"There are a lot of areas. We need to be in better shape physically as a group. That often fixes up a couple of those issues. You get a bit more clarity, you get set and into position.
"We’ve been working hard but we’ve definitely seen in a few training sessions where we’ve pushed them very hard physically and the accuracy went towards the end because we were blowing and fatigued. We weren’t accurate from a skill perspective and weren’t making the right decisions.
"That’s definitely a huge focus for us. You build confidence from that which we’ve done in the past. Other teams used to talk about how tough we were mentally and physically.
"If you look at that documentary where Rassie Erasmus talks about that World Cup semi-final and how tough the Welsh boys are and won’t go away. That’ll be a huge focus for us building over the next couple of months.
"We’ve got some skill work to do in terms of our passing and staying squarer and nailing those moments under pressure. We’ve missed some key lineouts, a ball lost at the back of a scrum, some passes that should have been made in the 22, we’ve probably not been accurate at some of the breakdowns in terms of making sure there is no separation with acceleration into contact.
"We’ve got a long way to go but we’ve been working hard on these areas each week. You’ve got to prioritise and focus on specific things because you can’t cover off everything. We’ve been trying to fix certain things up and doing a reasonable job of focusing on two or three things each week."
Who will win France v Wales? Have your say here
In trying to land upon the right combinations, Gatland has made 26 changes between matches across the tournament. Those changes have seen young players like Joe Hawkins, Mason Grady and Christ Tshiunza given game-time, only to not feature in the final match in Paris.
With their Six Nations races run, Gatland admitted that the likes of Hawkins, Grady and Tshiunza still have a fair way to go ahead of the World Cup in France later this year.
"Absolutely," he said. "They would have learned a huge amount already. That’s why we gave those guys a chance and a second chance.
"Some of them do have stuff they need to do and there is quite a lot of work still to do. We’re confident we’ll get the in depth detail on that stuff during that World Cup preparation."
Edwards' fingers all over this France team - Gatland
Gatland, going up against his former assistant Shaun Edwards for the first time, is more than aware of the threats of France - saying he can easily recognise the hallmarks of the man who ran his defence for over a decade.
"I can see that, yes," Gatland said when asked about Edwards' fingerprints. "By the number of not just the loose forwards, but the number of backs who get in and look to jackal and turn the ball over.
"That’s definitely a trait. You can see that particularly when other teams are close to their line that they work hard to stop other teams from scoring. They’re well organised defensively so I can definitely see the impact they’ve had on the French defence."
Gatland is also insistent that this current group of Welsh players has gone well against the French in recent years.
"We’ve also spoken in the group that there are a lot of our players who have had a lot of success against France," he said. "We’ve got a good record in the last number of years – you can go back to the 100-minute game, they probably should have won in 2021, and last year was close as well.
"There is no lack of confidence and self-belief we’re capable of doing it, but it’s about being accurate. We know we’re up against the No. 2 team in the world who are going to be tough to beat at home."
We can close gap - Jones
Hannah Jones believes Wales can close the gap on their Six Nations rivals.
The TikTok Women's Six Nations kicks off on March 25, with Wales now boasting 25 players on full-time professional contracts. Captain Jones feels there is scope to make up ground on top sides England and France when the competition gets under way.
"With the game growing and every nation bringing in contracts, it's about who trains the hardest and who has the best skills," Jones said at the Women's Six Nations launch in London. "You go into the matches with a winning mindset, but there's definitely a chance this year. We're looking to build on performances from last year and close that gap, England have picked up a few knocks, we can go looking to be confident."
Sexton's rugby IQ 'off the charts'
Gordon D’Arcy says Ireland skipper Johnny Sexton's rugby IQ is "off the charts" and says a switch flicks every time he crosses the white line.
Sexton has the chance to become Ireland's record points scorer on Saturday, with the fly-half needing just one successful kick at the posts to surpass Ronan O'Gara's old record of 557 points.
On the eve of Sexton's last Six Nations appearance, D’Arcy says there are not many players like him.
“A couple of players have had it down the years,” says D’Arcy. “There’s a switch they flick when they cross the white line. He definitely has it. It didn’t use to matter if you were going for dinner with him that night, with your wives and partners, or if you were someone he couldn’t stand. Everybody was equal within the white lines.
“He does things at the right time and his rugby IQ is off the charts. That is something that sets him apart from most people I know in rugby. They’ll be looking for others to tell them what they should do next. Sexton has already thought about it and told you where to be. To have that is just phenomenal and to be still doing it at this age just shows the importance of rugby IQ in the modern game.”
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