France’s Fixtures and Predictions
The Algorithm has France to win two of their five matches, but also push Wales very close in the opening match.
A Difficult Fixture List
It looks like France will struggle to compete for the top spots in this years Six Nations. Two tough fixtures away to England and Ireland should prove a bridge too far for the French, and therefore two or three wins might be the best they can do this time round.
However, even this might be difficult for the French. Their first match against Wales is predicted to go the way of the Welsh, admittedly by just three points, but with the Welsh on a nine match unbeaten streak and a strong record in Paris (the strongest of any visiting side in the Six Nations) the French will be hard pushed to overturn it.
They may also struggle to see off a visiting Scotland side as well. The Algorithm has the French as five point favourites for that match, but Scotland may well be targeting it as a springboard for their own Six Nations ambitions. Scotland have never won in Paris since the Six Nations began, but the margin has been closing. Their last 4 matches in Paris have been settled by an average of just five points.
A Struggling French Side
France’s woes have been apparent for all to see. Just three wins in 2018 and six in the last two years, France just aren’t getting the results that they might expect. However, a lot of their matches have been very close, so perhaps France aren’t as bad as their recent record suggests. For example, in last years Six Nations just 12 points across all matches separated France from a Grand Slam. For the French optimists, it surely wouldn’t take much to write these wrongs.
Easier said than done however. France’s difficulties extend further than the field, and although they tend to peak in World Cup years, we think that it is unlikely they will be competing for the top honours come the final weekend. Good luck to them however.
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