A lot was expected of France’s defence when they brought in Shaun Edwards ahead of the 2020 Guinness Six Nations, and through two rounds they have not disappointed.
On the surface, France’s five tries conceded is better than only Italy, but delve a little deeper with the help of AWS stats and it is clear that Edwards’ arrival is having an impact.
A year ago it was England who stood out by their sheer number of dominant tackles, an approach that seemed to pile the pressure on opponents and helped them to get off to a flying start in the Championship with wins over Ireland and France.
This year Les Bleus have done the same. Five of the six teams in the Championship have made between 31 and 37 dominant tackles in two matches.
The sixth? That would be France with 54. Against Italy alone they made 33 dominant tackles, which would be enough to put them level with Wales for the Championship as a whole.
It should not come as a surprise, with Edwards’ rush defence aimed at forcing teams backwards. That France have adapted so quickly will be in part thanks to Fabien Galthié employing a similar system with the team at the World Cup, allowing them to make that transition more quickly.
Bernard Le Roux has been a key part in that success. The Racing 92 forward initially broke onto the international scene as a back-rower, but has now been converted to lock where he is thriving.
His relentless work rate is clear for all to see, and his eight dominant tackles is equal for the most of any player in the Championship.
What is interesting is when you compare France’s defensive work with England a year ago, considering the similarities in terms of numbers of dominant tackles.
England average 29.2 dominant tackles a game in 2019, a little more than France are currently managing now.
But that also led to them missing more tackles than any other team in the Championship and finishing with the worst tackle success rate.
That is logical when you consider that dominant tackles often come from players taking a bit more of a chance in putting in the more powerful hit.
It is a gamble that some coaches are clearly willing to take, while others prefer to keep their tackle success rate high, at the expense of the dominant tackles.
After just two matches, France appear to have got the balance right. They are making far more dominant tackles than the rest of the Guinness Six Nations sides, while their tackle success rate slots in at third.
With such a small sample size, it would be dangerous to read too much into this so far, but it is clear that France’s defensive approach has changed from a year ago.
In 2019 they managed 76 dominant tackles, a number they would reach after just three rounds if they continue on their current rate in Saturday’s clash with Wales.
That will obviously have added spice to it as Edwards returns to Cardiff to face the team he worked with for more than a decade.
Wales will know what is coming. The question is, can they counter this aggressive French defence?
