CARDIFF -- Wales and France want to put things right on Friday. Whichever one does at Millennium Stadium will have a huge bearing on the Six Nations. Welsh ambitions of three straight championships are on thin ice. That strut in their stride that coach Warren Gatland said they should show off before the tournament has been replaced by a limp. After the 26-3 thrashing from Ireland for their worst Six Nations result in eight years, they face two consecutive defeats. That hasnt happened since 2010, when France last won in Cardiff, which also happened to be on a Friday night. "We need to react," said George North, who after 37 destructive caps on the wing will start at centre to answer an SOS by Wales. Having beating England and Italy in Paris, the French are on remarkable course to the title. But they are still ridding themselves of the bitter taste of 2013, their annus horribilis, when they were also last in the Six Nations. This year they are the leaders with Ireland with two wins from two matches, but the Tricolors have yet to play well for 40 minutes, let alone 80. They have fired only in spurts. "The squad has done enormously well to pick up two wins. We have to make the most of it," said No. 8 Louis Picamoles, the tournaments leading forward in metres made. Frances rising confidence has been crucially helped by coach Philippe Saint-Andres limited tinkering. Hes made four changes through three rounds. At the same point in 2013, hed made 10. Gatland kept his changes for this match to four, with only one in the pack where Wales was dominated in Dublin. The lack of game-time beforehand by the likes of props Adam Jones and Gethin Jenkins, and captain Sam Warburton was exposed by the Irish, prompting Warburton and Jenkins to be released to play for their clubs last weekend. Rhys Webb played for Ospreys, and the display was good enough for him to be given his first test start in place of Mike Phillips, the 82-cap scrumhalf who has paid for his slow service and inattention. The Welsh regard the drubbing from Ireland as a one-off, one bad day at the office, even though they also had a bad half-day against Italy. Gatland was so disturbed by the effort that hes warned his team that test careers are on the line. "Hopefully, they will respond, because it is important for us in terms of not just this competition," Gatland said. "For a lot of those players theyve got to start thinking about the next 12 months and the World Cup, and if they dont play well on Friday night it could be the last time they will play for Wales. "Its an opportunity to get back on the horse." But Ireland gave France a blueprint to success. Dominate the lineouts and the breakdowns. Starve the Wales backline. Ireland scored tries from lineout mauls, and Wales lock Alun-Wyn Jones acknowledged theyre difficult to defend. "Once the ball is at the back of the maul, you cant get to it, pull it down, tackle it, sack it, once its moving," Jones said. "That is why it is such a weapon. "Its most definitely a case of stopping it at source. We didnt do that. "Any team that has coded us, taken a good look at us, is going to point to it as an opportunity. Its in the armoury of almost every team in the French league, and that is not going to change on Friday night." Wales just needs to be itself, walk with a strut, North said. "Its important to remember that we proved last year that defeat doesnt mean its all lost," North said. "We have a lot to play for." ------ Lineups: Wales: Leigh Halfpenny, Alex Cuthbert, George North, Jamie Roberts, Liam Williams, Rhys Priestland, Rhys Webb; Taulupe Faletau, Sam Warburton (captain), Dan Lydiate, Alun-Wyn Jones, Luke Charteris, Adam Jones, Richard Hibbard, Gethin Jenkins. Reserves: Ken Owens, Paul James, Rhodri Jones, Jake Ball, Justin Tipuric, Mike Phillips, Dan Biggar, James Hook. France: Brice Dulin, Yoann Huget, Mathieu Bastareaud, Wesley Fofana, Hugo Bonneval, Jules Plisson, Jean-Marc Doussain; Louis Picamoles, Wenceslas Lauret, Yannick Nyanga, Pascal Pape (captain), Yoann Maestri, Nicolas Mas, Dimitri Szarzewski, Thomas Domingo. Reserves: Brice Mach, Yannick Forestier, Vincent Debaty, Sebastien Vahaamahina, Damien Chouly, Maxime Machenaud, Remi Tales, Gael Fickou. . The turf is scheduled to give way to actual grass that is bright green, so we dont have to complain any more—we just have to wait a few years. Instead, do feel free to complain if the roof is closed for any reason other than to allow a game to be played. . -- Oakland Athletics third baseman Scott Sizemore has undergone surgery on his left knee to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament.
http://www.officialtimberwolvesfanstore ... es-jersey/. TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie tweeted Monday morning that Callahan - who is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, is now open to a six-year contract at less than $7 million per season. . -- Alex Anthopoulos spoke volumes with what he didnt say on right-hander Ervin Santana. . - Jordan Addesis shootout goal helped the Plymouth Whalers to a 3-2 win over the Sault Ste.ABBOTSFORD, B.C. -- The Texas Stars snapped a three-game winless streak the best way they know how -- by scoring a bushel of goals in quick succession. The Stars are the highest scoring team in the American Hockey League and showed it by thumping the Abbotsford Heat 7-2 on Sunday. Colton Sceviour scored his first of the night just 53 seconds into the game, but it was his second that capped a six-goal second period for the Stars. "We were able to get a goal early and we buried our chances," said Sceviour. "In yesterdays game (a 3-2 Abbotsford shootout victory), (Heat goalie Olivier) Roy made some big saves and we werent able to capitalize. Today we were able to capitalize and that was the big difference." Lopsided victories are nothing new between these two clubs. Abbotsfords largest margin of defeat this season was a 9-3 loss in Texas Oct. 20, which it followed with a 7-3 win. The Stars also toppled the Heat 5-0 in January. "Its kind of strange," said Sceviour. "The second game they played us in Texas they beat us pretty handily. Its weird how teams that are so tight in the standings that when they play one team seems to control the other a little bit. But fortunately its been us more times than not." Scott Glennie had a pair of goals, while Brett Ritchie, Jyrki Jokipakka, and Mike Hedden also scored for Texas (29-15-6), which moves the club to within two points of the Heat for first in the Western Conference. "Its good for us, but we know theyre a good team," said Glennie. "The games, it seems, have been one-sided this year, one way or another. Its been fun playing them and well have a tough matchup in the future." The Stars boast the top-two goal scorers in the AHL in Sceviour and points leader Travis Morin. "(Sceviour) is such a big part of the team," said Glennie. "We need those guys to be scoring for us to be successful, and they bring it every single night. But obviously when we get the secondary scoring, like tonight, its huge for us as well. When youre playing a team like Abbotsford you need that." Cristopher Nilstorp made 33 saves for the win. "(Nilstorp) was fantastic," added Glennie. &quoot;They had a lot of good opportunities to get back in the game and he was there to stop them every single time and that was great.dddddddddddd" Max Reinhart and Shane OBrien replied for Abbotsford (31-15-4), which had a five-game winning streak snapped. Olivier Roy allowed four goals on 24 shots before being replaced by Joni Ortio, who was reassigned to the Heat by the Calgary Flames for the Olympic break. Ortio let in the first shot he faced and three of the first six shots that went his way. "The second period was a big outburst and that was kind of a shock for both teams," said Glennie. The Stars opened the scoring when Dustin Jeffreys pass deflected in off Sceviours skate, and after review the goal stood. The Heat tied the game at 11:19. Corban Knight jammed at the puck down low, and with the puck sitting on the goal line Reinhart swooped around the net to tuck it in for his 12th of the season. OBrien gave the Heat their only lead of the game at 2:14 of the second. After leading a shorthanded rush he dropped the puck to Markus Granlund and went to the net. Granlund had two assists on the night. Ritchie tied the game a little more than a minute later on a power play. His wrist shot from the left face-off dot found its way through a pair of bodies into the top right corner for his 11th of the season, beginning the offensive onslaught. "We knew we let it snowball on us, and give them credit - they smelled some blood and they took advantage," said OBrien. Glennie then scored two goals in a three-minute span. First he one-timed a feed from Chris Mueller while shorthanded. Then he was the beneficiary of a lucky bounce, with the puck going off a defencemans backside and in. Ortio came in to play goal, but allowed Jokipakka to score on the first shot he faced. "Goals four and five were the absolute backbreakers for me and our team," said Heat head coach Troy Ward. "The ones that were on the power play after, thats a frenzy of wolves feeding. They just smelled blood, and they went for it and they got it." Hedden and Sceviour then scored on successive power plays for their 18th and 29th goals respectively to round out the scoring. ' ' '
