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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 That strut in their stride that coach Warren Gatland said they should show off before the tournament has been replaced by a limp.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. Chris Archer Jersey . Jets head coach Paul Maurice made the announcement Saturday following the morning skate and confirmed Al Montoya will start in goal against the Dallas Stars on Sunday. 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Chris Heisey connected for his first grand slam and Devin Mesoraco homered and drove in a career high-tying four runs as Cincinnati took advantage of Tampa Bays depleted pitching staff for a 12-4 victory on Sunday.(SportsNetwork.com) - Two pitchers will take the hill on Saturday in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series. One has been nearly unhittable the last two times hes pitched. And the other is Clayton Kershaw. Runs figure to be at a premium tonight, as Michael Wacha and the St. Louis Cardinals try to go up two games to none on the Los Angeles Dodgers in the best-of-seven series at Busch Stadium. Wacha has been the early story of this postseason, as he nearly no-hit the Pittsburgh Pirates in a season-saving win for the Cardinals in Game 4 of the NLDS. The 22-year-old righty took a no-hitter into the eighth in a stellar 7 1/3-inning, nine-strikeout performance to help the Cards force a fifth and deciding game. "Why hes been able to be successful so far is that he has trusted himself," Cards manager Mike Matheny said of Wacha. "Hes trusted the game plan thats put in front of him. Hes trusted his catcher. Hes trusted his stuff. Then it comes down to taking the distractions and minimizing them." Of course, Wacha came within an out of no-hitting the Washington Nationals in his final start in the regular season. "Im definitely looking forward to pitching in front of this home crowd. Its going to be a lot of fun," said Wacha, who has never faced the Dodgers. "Just watching them on TV, its a great ballclub and definitely a dangerous lineup. Im just going to have to go out there and make pitches." Kershaw, meanwhile, is likely headed toward another NL Cy Young Award after a remarkable regular season that saw him go 16-9 and lead the major leagues with a minuscule 1.83 ERA and an NL-best 232 strikeouts. It was the fourth consecutive season that Kershaw tallied 200 or more strikeouts. He also allowed a .195 batting average -- .202 to right-handed hitters and .165 to left-handed hitters. The postseason spotlight hasnt fazed him one bit, as Kershaw went 1-0 against the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS and pitched to a 0.69 ERA in two starts, the last one, of course, came on three days rest and secured the Dodgers series win. "You guys make a big deal about three days rest," he told a room full of reporters before the NLCS opener. "I never made a big deal out of it. (Dodgers manager Don Mattingly) never made a big deal out of it. ... I mean, no offense, but Im just kind of tired of it." Over his last 11 starts, including his two postseason starts, Kershaw is 6-2 with a remarkable 1.46 ERA.dddddddddddd Kershaw, though, lost both of his starts to the Cardinals this season and pitched to a 4.15 ERA in doing so. Kershaw will need to be aware of St. Louis Carlos Beltran, who drove in all three runs in the Cardinals thrilling 3-2 win in 13 innings in Game 1. Of the five previous times the Cards won the first game of the NLCS (home or away), they advanced to the World Series three times. "We have had our fair share of extra-inning games, but none more special than that one," second baseman Matt Carpenter said. "Winning Game 1 is huge, especially in that fashion. Whether they want to admit it or not, winning that game in that kind of scenario, thats a tough way to lose a game." Beltran had tied the game with a two-run double in the third inning, but hours later stroked a one-out hit toward the right field corner off Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen to score Daniel Descalso from second base with the winning run. "It was a good team win," shortstop Pete Kozma said, before slightly altering his wording. "A good team Carlos win today." They werent the only heroics for Beltran, who also gunned a runner down at home for an inning-ending double play in the 10th. Perhaps the best postseason hitter of this generation, Beltran now has four game-winning postseason RBI in his career. He also has nine RBI in these playoffs. "Hes basically built up a resume as one of the greatest postseason hitters of all time," Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis said of Beltran. "We knew that coming in. When you compound that by giving him two 3-1 counts to hit in, he knows what to do." Juan Uribe, who hit the homer Monday that got the NL West-champion Dodgers into the NLCS, had a two-run single in the third inning for LAs only runs in Game 1. Lance Lynn (1-0) threw two innings to get the win and Chris Withrow (0-1) gave up a pinch-hit single to Descalso and walked Matt Carpenter in the 13th. "It feels great coming back to the ballpark and knowing youve got Clayton on the mound," Ellis said. "Were going to do everything we can to earn the split." The Dodgers were 4-3 against the Cardinals this season, including three wins in four games in St. Louis. 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