KINGSLEY Jones believes Wales will reap the rewards of their perfect preparation when they take on France in Paris on Saturday evening.

The former Wales skipper worked alongside Les Bleus boss Philippe Saint-Andre at Gloucester and Sale Sharks and remains close friends with the ex-winger.

And he believes that the France coach is hampered in Six Nations period by the brutal nature of the Top 14, which saw a number of his stars in club action in the week between their loss to Ireland in Dublin and Saturday’s clash with Warren Gatland’s men.

Twelve of the Wales XV had their feet up last weekend and Newport Gwent Dragons head coach Jones believes that will give them an edge in Paris.

“Philippe is looking forward to getting together at the start of June for the World Cup. Those players go back to their clubs and smash lumps out of each other,” he said.

“They won’t have been able to train properly until Tuesday. It’s not the same for Wales, or England. It’s a fact and not an excuse that the French players have to play more at this time of the year.

“Preparation is everything in international rugby and if you can’t do anything for a couple of days, then it undermines things.”

Jones was Saint-Andre’s captain with the Cherry and Whites and then they joined forces to enjoy great success in the north west of England, winning the European Challenge Cup in 2005 and Premiership the following year.

The 69-times capped winger is seen by many as a barrier to French success, wasting the talent at his disposal with some bonkers decisions, yet Jones believes the scrutiny of others is nothing compared to what Saint-Andre puts himself under.

“He heaps so much pressure on himself, it’s a wonder he doesn’t have a heart attack,” said Jones.

“Of all the people I have worked with, he is the one who wants to win the most – sometimes to his own detriment. He works really hard and thinks about nothing other than the team.

“You never know with the French, but even if he lost a couple of games I don’t think they would get rid of him so close to the World Cup. If they were going to change, they would have got rid of him in the autumn.”

The Dragons boss believes key to Satuday’s encounter is whether Wales, who have not conceded a try to France in four games, can prevent their hosts from winning the battle of the bulk.

“It’s about gain line. If France can get gain line, then they can play,” said Jones. “But if they don’t get it as much as they would like, if they get smacked back, then they look very average and ordinary.”