WAYNE PIVAC ACCEPTS that Wales will face “a massive challenge” when they go for the Guinness Six Nations title and Grand Slam against France in Paris next Saturday.
The unbeaten tournament leaders reeled off a third successive bonus-point victory to increase pressure on their rivals for silverware by crushing Italy 48-7 in Rome.
And Pivac’s team now head to the French capital knowing that a sixth Six Nations crown and fifth Grand Slam will be secured if they topple Les Bleus.
“We need to improve, and we are looking to improve each week,” Wales head coach Pivac said.
“They (France) are going to be a different proposition. We will review our performance, preview them and we know we are in for a massive game.
“The two previous games (against France in the last 12 months), we have been on the receiving end of the result and we are in for a massive challenge.
“If you asked this side coming out of the autumn whether they would take four (wins) from four travelling to Paris for a potential Grand Slam, I think you know the answer.”
Italy’s 31st Six Nations defeat in a row saw them predictably offer little resistance at Stadio Olimpico as Wales tore them apart by scoring seven tries.
Pivac said: “We know the pain we went through in the autumn and they were certainly not the results (in the Autumn Nations Cup) we were after.
“But we are that much better for the autumn, we’ve got a lot more depth and we are going to have to keep building on that depth.
“Because the big prize at the end of the day is working towards the Rugby World Cup in 2023 and this championship was always going to be a line in the sand for us.
“We are very pleased to be four from four, obviously, with an opportunity that we can finally talk about and that’s to try and go all the way and win five from five – the Grand Slam.”
Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones will become the first player to win four Six Nations Grand Slams if his team beat France.
“I don’t know if it gets easier or more difficult the more opportunities you get with games like this,” Jones said.
