France is off to a good start in this year’s Rugby World Cup, winning their first two Test matches against Italy and Romania to put them a point behind Ireland for the No. 1 spot in Pool D. They’ll look to stretch their unbeaten run further when they square off with the Canadians, who are still searching for their first win.
Who will prevail in this battle? Will the French continue imposing their dominance? Or will Canada shock the world with an improbable upset? Read on further for an in-depth breakdown of this battle, and while you’re at it, check our previews for England vs. Australia and Ireland vs. Italy.
[sc:Other240banner ]The French, who are deemed as +120 favorites to emerge atop of Pool D, are looking to take care of business once more in their third test match in the RWC. The level of their focus is definitely going to be at its highest as a win here will assure them a chance a chance to depose Ireland from the No. 1 spot in their group.
France, though, won’t be having the usual faces in their respective lineup versus Canada as coach Philippe Saint-Andre has decided to make a few changes. One of those changes involves resting his ever-reliable number eight in Louis Picamoles, whose experience and presence has been one of the key factors for his squad’s recent triumphs. They’ll also be without Yoann Huget, who was ruled out of the tournament since sustaining a knee injury during their opening match opposite Italy.
Huget’s absence makes room for the Test debut of Remy Grosso, the winger who plays for Castres in the French Top 14 League. He’ll likely be a difference-maker against the Canadians, as the 26-year-old Frenchman has settled well with the team and is expected to score some tries, according to Saint-Andre himself.
Also, it’s worth keeping an eye on fullback Sofiane Guitone and scrum-half Morgan Parra to help their team remain undefeated. Guitone will look to build on his performance against Romania, wherein he tallied 10 points which all came from the try zone. Parra, meanwhile, was pretty productive as well in the same match with three conversions.
France has won the last six meetings with Canada, outscoring them with an aggregate score of 239-70.
It’s really no surprise that Canada is the +38.5 underdog in its upcoming match with France at Milton Keynes. The Canadians continue to remain winless in the tournament and are likely still trying to move on from a gut-wrenching 23-18 defeat opposite No. 14 Italy on Saturday at Elland Road.
The 18th-ranked Maple Leafs were up 10-0 during the first half and 15-13 in the second before they began committing some unnecessary mistakes which ultimately allowed the Italians to complete the thrilling comeback and earn their first win in the 2015 RWC.
Moving forward, the Canadians won’t be catching any break at all as they’re next opponent—France—is without a doubt an even tougher adversary for them to overcome. But nonetheless, they are going to have to find a way to pull off an upset or at least make things interesting at Stadium MK versus the seventh-best team in the world.
The odds are totally against Canada as the French have beaten them convincingly in six of their previous seven meetings. That lone win, though, should give them a reason to be a little optimistic despite the overwhelming odds stacked against them.
Look to none other than their captain, Jamie Cudmore, to remind them of this fact and guide his young teammates through his veteran experience. Cudmore has appeared for the Maple Leafs in the 2003, 2007 and 2011 World Cup.
Also, fly-half Nathan Hirayama will be a key factor in determining the outcome of this match. He didn’t notch a try against Italy; however, he had eight points under his belt which all came from a single conversion and a pair of penalties. Hirayama has scored a total of 37 points with one try, seven conversions, five penalty goals and a drop in all of his Tests since 2008.
Canada is 2-8 in its last 10 matches.
Writer’s Prediction
France (-38.5 ) resoundingly beats Canada but is unable to cover the spread.
