CENTRE Jonathan Davies believes Wales are ready to pounce in the race for the Six Nations title, writes Andrew Penman.

Saturday’s 20-13 victory over France in Paris means Warren Gatland’s men can potentially put themselves in with a chance of a third championship win in four years with a home win over Ireland on March 14.

Five penalties from Leigh Halfpenny and a first international try for Dan Biggar were enough to seal a fourth straight Welsh success against the French.

“It’s a very good achievement and we mentioned it in the week but we weren’t looking at that,” said Davies.

“We just concentrated on our performance and executing the game plan and I think it worked for most of the game.”

The 26-year-old former Scarlet, now at Clermont Auvergne, is one of four players in the visitors’ starting XV to ply their trade in France.

And with Dan Lydiate and Gethin Jenkins also having previously tasted life in the Top 14, Davies believes that insider information did help Wales at the Stade de France.

“We talked about it a bit in the week, about the mentality and the culture and how they pride themselves at home,” he explained.

“It was a big challenge for us and I think it was a gutsy performance and a very good one in the end.

“We had a good week’s prep. We didn’t train that long because we were executing what we wanted to do and I think it was a decent performance from us.”

And, having recovered from the opening day defeat to England at the Millennium Stadium with wins in Edinburgh and Paris, Davies argues that Wales go into the clash with Ireland in Cardiff in with a fighting chance of claiming the title.

“The longer we stay together the better we get and we can improve vastly,” he said.

“We need to keep working on what was good and cut out the errors.

“We’re keeping ourselves in there and making sure that if someone slips up we can be there to pounce.”