DEFENCE coach Shaun Edwards says Wales won’t just have to cope with the sledgehammer approach of Mathieu Bastareaud if they are keep a fifth ‘clean sheet’ on the spin against France on Saturday evening.

The last try that Wales conceded against Les Bleus was in Paris four years ago when Vincent Clerc collected Francois Trinh-Duc's chip over the top.

France boast a wealth of bulky runners in their ranks and despite finding it hard to steamroller Edwards’ charges in the past are expected to be direct on Saturday.

Toulon ace Bastareaud was in a typically forthright mood in Dublin a fortnight ago when he smashed into the Irish and left Jonny Sexton’s face in a mess but it’s not just the direct running of the hefty centre that Wales have been told to look out for.

“He is a bit more skilful than a lot of people put him down for,” said Edwards. “He is an excellent off-loader.

“France have off-loaded the ball more than any other team in the competition so far. There is a bit of a fallacy going around about France not playing any rugby, but they've had the most defenders beaten and most off-loads.

“We know they also have a big driving game, and like all teams, their go-forward is based on big men getting over the advantage line.

“Mathieu is a good off-loader, and defensively he is absolutely fantastic, the way he competes for the ball is pretty incredible.

“We have to be conscious of that in our attack, and we have to meet him as quickly as possible when he gets the ball.”

Wales have a pretty formidable midfield partnership of Jamie Robert and Jonathan Davies but Edwards admits that Bastareaud’s combinations with Clermont superstar Wesley Fofana will keep them on their toes.

“France have a good balance in the centres,” he said. “They have a big, powerful guy who can get his hands free and they have the slashing runner who can go on the outside and that is what most great centre pairings have been made of.”

Roberts has been linked with a return to Wales on a dual contract from Racing Metro.

Edwards admitted it would be a help to have his defensive kingpin back on home soil but wants the former Cardiff Blues centre to concentrate on the task at hand.

“I think his form has been really good. In the autumn, I thought he was pushing to be one of the best centres in the world,” said Edwards.

"Particularly, when he played against Sonny Bill and Jean de Villiers, I said these are the guys who are competing to be the best in the world in his position, the guys you mark yourself against. I thought he came out pretty favourably in both those contests.”