France player ratings: Classy half-backs lead Les Bleus to comfortable Six Nations victory over Wales

Colin Newboult 18 Mar 2023 4:20 PM

Following a 41-28 victory over Wales in their Six Nations Test at the Stade de France on Saturday, here are the player ratings for France.

15 Thomas Ramos: Pinpoint off the tee, scoring five penalties and two conversions, and also a threat on the counter-attack. He finished with two assists in another good performance. 8

14 Damian Penaud: Touched down twice more to continue his fine form, while Wales struggled to deal with him whenever he got his hands on the ball. 8

13 Gael Fickou: Won’t be happy with the tries France conceded but he still showed up well, touching down for the bonus-point try. 7

12 Jonathan Danty: Fabien Galthie’s men look much better with him in the team. Akin to Manu Tuilagi at his best, Danty’s mere presence attracts the attentions of the defenders. 8

11 Ethan Dumortier: An excellent first Six Nations from the youngster but he was quiet on Saturday, seeing little of the ball. 6

10 Romain Ntamack: After a difficult few months in a blue shirt, the Toulouse playmaker has certainly re-found his form. Plenty of outstanding moments in Paris. 9

9 Antoine Dupont (c): Rarely drops below an 8/10 and didn’t here. Not quite the sheer perfection of last week but, to be honest, not far off. 9

Outstanding Cros

8 Gregory Alldritt: Some good carries and kept the French going forward. Has responded well after the disappointment of the Ireland game. 7

7 Charles Ollivon: The former captain was another who had question marks over him but, like Alldritt, he is not far off his best. 7

6 Francois Cros: Continues to be an utter nuisance and a real disruptive pressure on defence. He is invaluable to this French outfit. 8

5 Romain Taofifenua: Won one turnover but Paul Willemse, when fit, is definitely the first choice. Taofifenua is not quite using his bulk effectively enough. 6

4 Thibaud Flament: They haven’t missed Cameron Woki at all with Flament impressing in most matches. Quieter here but Galthie has a big decision to make ahead when the World Cup approaches. 7

3 Uini Atonio: Scored a try on his 50th appearance and scrummaged impressively. He’s a hard man to shift for opposition looseheads. 7

2 Julien Marchand: Was busy throughout and, as ever, throwing on point. A marked man at the breakdown nowadays but still managed one turnover. 7

1 Cyril Baille: After a slow start to the Six Nations, France’s superb front-rower is gradually getting there. He completely dominated in the set-piece and was prominent with ball in hand. 8

Replacements: Impossible to assess the latter four players as they barely got a minute between them, but the replacement front-row struggled. 4

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