The difficulties encountered on Thursday by the French XV against Uruguay (27-12) put Wales on their guard, who also fielded a reshuffled team for their second World Cup match against Portugal on Saturday in Nice . “We will talk about the France match (with the players). We have to learn from it,” Welsh defense coach Mike Forshaw said at a press conference on Friday.
After having disposed of Fiji (32-26) at the end of an intense and indecisive match until the end, the coach of the Leek XV Warren Gatland, like his French counterpart Fabien Galthié, made a large turnover to face the most modest Portuguese. “You have to respect everyone in the World Cup,” Welsh third row Dan Lydiate warned on Thursday, even before the Blues were jostled by Uruguay. “The Portuguese did not play last week, so they will arrive like starving people.” Portugal has been warned, the Leek XV does not intend to be surprised.