Jones expects France win
Wales prop Adam Jones has backed France to beat Ireland in tomorrow’s rearranged RBS 6 Nations clash.
Such an outcome would then leave Les Bleus needing victory over England on Sunday week to set up a title and Grand Slam decider against Wales in Cardiff on March 17, providing Jones and company see off Italy in seven days’ time.
Jones, though, insists Wales cannot be distracted by the prospect of another huge Millennium Stadium occasion.
“We will not be taking Italy lightly,” the Ospreys forward said. “They are a tough side to play against, and we cannot afford to look to the France game.
“I think they will beat Ireland on Sunday because Paris is a hell of a hard place to go and France have class all over the place, but Ireland can give them a hard game.”
Wales’ victory over England last Saturday secured a 20th championship Triple Crown, leaving them two wins away from a second Six Nations title and Grand Slam of coach Warren Gatland’s four-year reign.
But Jones added: “We have not produced the complete performance this year. We have played for 10 or 20 minutes here and there.
“To win the title you are going to have to pull one 80-minute performance out of the bag.
“England was a tough game – they stopped us from playing. It was a rearguard effort, and then came a bit of magic from Scott Williams.
“Since I have been playing for Wales, if we struggled we just asked where Shane Williams was and gave him the ball and cracked on. We now have a back-line that can change games, and we just get the ball to them.”
While Wales have a couple of fitness concerns for Italy’s Cardiff visit - notably centre Jamie Roberts – it will be a huge surprise if they do not make home advantage count.
Wales defence coach Shaun Edwards said: “Winning the Six Nations is our primary aim.
“We are playing for 80 minutes, and there is no doubt there is a belief where it’s a little bit like Manchester United. How many times have we seen them score goals in the last two or three minutes?
“The game is not over until the referee blows that final whistle.
“Particularly against Ireland, that was the stand-out situation. We had to score eight points in a certain number of minutes, which we did, and I thought ’wow, what a way to finish a game’.
“It’s that inner-belief and our fitness levels, and also the impact players are making from the bench.”
Gatland is due to announce his team to face the Azzurri next Tuesday, with Scott Williams – Wales’ Twickenham try hero – the favourite to take over from Roberts if he is ruled out by knee trouble, partnering his Scarlets colleague Jonathan Davies in midfield.
