WALES coach Warren Gatland doesn’t expect thrills galore from France when he renews his rivalry with an old foe at the Millennium Stadium.

Les Bleus have asked for the roof to be open and are likely to attempt to grind their way to a victory that would deny their hosts a Grand Slam.

It is a prediction that the New Zealander bases on his past jostles with counterpart Philippe Saint-Andre in the English Premiership when he was with Wasps and the Frenchman was at Sale.

Gatland expressed his frustration about the roof being open despite a forecast for rain in Cardiff on Saturday afternoon.

"I think it is Philippe being pragmatic about wanting to get a win," he said. “Having coached against him in the past in the Premiership he is relatively conservative in the way that he approaches the game.

"He is pragmatic in terms of set piece, scrums lineouts and big physical players. I don’t think he cares about what type of rugby they will play, his whole focus is trying to win the match."

Saint-Andre has made five changes to the side that lost 24-22 to England in Paris last weekend, calling on a pair of big guns up front.

Stade Francais tighthead David Attoub, back playing after a 70-week ban for eye-gouging, and veteran Toulouse hooker William Servat slot into the front row.

Wesley Fofana switches from the centre to the wing with Florian Fritz coming into midfield while Alexis Palisson and Dimitri Yachvili start on the left flank and at scrum-half respectively.

"I think they have picked a very old, tough pack and it’s not going to be a pretty game from them," said Gatland.

"We are going to have to expect that real physical confrontation and it’s going to be tough up front. I certainly expect them to be more physical than open."

Les Bleus have only lost once from six previous Cardiff visits in the Six Nations – a 29-12 defeat four years ago when Wales clinched the Grand Slam.

That was the last time that Wales beat France and Gatland acknowledges the need to cut out the silly errors.

He said: "There have been a couple of close games and we have contributed to our downfall with a couple of intercept tries, some yellow cards, charge downs.

"France have been dangerous in this tournament when they have come from behind and we don’t want to be chasing the game against them.

"There is more for us to play for because a few weeks ago this was potentially a Grand Slam decider but we have got to be a lot more accurate."