France’s Romain Ntamack is set to line up at fly-half for the first time in almost 18 months but the Six Nations favourites will be without the wing Damian Penaud for Friday night’s opener against Wales, adding to a list of key players unavailable for the curtain-raiser at the Stade de France.
Ntamack missed the 2023 World Cup with a knee injury and his planned comeback last November was curtailed by a calf injury, but he will reprise his highly regarded combination with the returning captain, Antoine Dupont. Penaud had been expected to return to the team but suffered a toe injury in training and Théo Attissogbé will line up on the wing instead.
France are already without the veteran centre Gaël Fickou, the lock Thibaud Flament and the loose forward Charles Ollivon, with Fabien Galthié making five changes in total from the side who beat Argentina 37-23 in Paris in November.
Ntamack’s return pushes Thomas Ramos to full-back in place of Léo Barré while Pierre-Louis Barassi replaces Fickou in the midfield and Attissogbé takes Gabin Villiere’s place on the wing. The former captain Grégory Alldritt returns to the back of the pack in place of Ollivon after being dropped before the win over Argentina while Alexandre Roumat is in for Flament.
On the bench, Galthié has included Hugo Auradou and Oscar Jegou, who made their debut in Argentina last year but were then arrested on rape charges that were later dropped. The two players, allowed to leave Argentina in September, always denied any wrongdoing and said the sex was consensual. Galthié refused to answer a question about their inclusion. “We’ve already answered these questions a lot. Today is the announcement of the French team, on the players who play, those who perform. I will focus on these answers,” he said.
France: Thomas Ramos (Toulouse), Théo Attissogbé (Pau), Pierre-Louis Barassi (Toulouse), Yoram Moefana (Bordeaux Bègles), Louis Bielle-Biarrey (Bordeaux Bègles), Romain Ntamack (Toulouse), Antoine Dupont (Toulouse, capt), Jean-Baptiste Gros (Toulon), Peato Mauvaka (Toulouse), Uini Atonio (La Rochelle), Alexandre Roumat (Toulouse), Emmanuel Meafou (Toulouse), François Cros (Toulouse), Paul Boudehent (La Rochelle), Grégory Alldritt (La Rochelle). Replacements: Julien Marchand (Toulouse), Cyril Baille (Toulouse), Georges-Henri Colombe (La Rochelle), Hugo Auradou (Pau), Mickaël Guillard (Lyon), Oscar Jégou (La Rochelle), Nolann Le Garrec (Racing 92), Émilien Gailleton (Pau).
Wales: Liam Williams (Saracens); Tom Rogers (Scarlets), Nick Tompkins (Saracens), Owen Watkin (Ospreys), Josh Adams (Cardiff); Ben Thomas (Cardiff), Tomos Williams (Gloucester); Gareth Thomas (Ospreys), Evan Lloyd (Cardiff), Henry Thomas (Scarlets), Will Rowlands (Racing 92), Dafydd Jenkins (Exeter), James Botham (Cardiff), Jac Morgan (Ospreys, captain), Aaron Wainwright (Dragons) Replacements: Elliot Dee (Dragons), Nicky Smith (Leicester), Keiron Assiratti (Cardiff), Freddie Thomas (Gloucester), Tommy Reffell (Leicester), Rhodri Williams (Dragons), Dan Edwards (Ospreys), Blair Murray (Scarlets).
The former England prop Henry Thomas will make his first Wales start in Paris. The former Sale and Bath tighthead, who also played French club rugby for Castres and Montpellier, has won four caps as a replacement since switching allegiance in 2023. Thomas, whose father is from Swansea, was able to make the move under World Rugby regulations because his last England appearance had been more than three years earlier.
The head coach, Warren Gatland, also hands a full Test bow to the 23-year-old Cardiff hooker Evan Lloyd, who steps up with Dewi Lake and Ryan Elias injured, against a juggernaut French pack in Paris.
Gatland has selected a back row of Aaron Wainwright at No 8 alongside James Botham and the captain Jac Morgan. The full-back Liam Williams and the wing Josh Adams – with 151 caps between them – also feature, while the Saracens centre Nick Tompkins is recalled, partnering Owen Watkin in midfield.
Cardiff’s Ben Thomas fills the fly-half role, the uncapped Ospreys No 10 Dan Edwards is on the bench and the Exeter lock Dafydd Jenkins makes a first Wales appearance for almost 11 months after undergoing knee and shoulder operations.
There are only four survivors in the Wales starting lineup from the side beaten by South Africa last time out – Thomas, Will Rowlands, Botham and Morgan. But the return of Adams and Williams gives a more-experienced look to a Wales team that contains a combined total of 487 caps. Wales are on a record run of 12 successive Test defeats, while it is six losses in a row against France.
Gatland said the mood among the players has been positive despite their horror 2024. “They’ve been outstanding. There’s been a good buzz around the group. They’ve been excellent. The next couple of days, it’s about coaches taking a step back and allowing the players to lead.”
On the return of Adams and Williams, the head coach said: “Part of our thinking was bringing some experience back in and getting some balance in. Having a voice and getting some confidence to those around them.”
Wales are hoping Taulupe Faletau will be fit for the match against Italy in Rome.
The Wales No 8 had been expected to make his return after almost 16 months out of Test rugby on Friday, but Gatland says the 104-cap forward feels he is “not quite ready” for selection. “He made the call on Tuesday to say he is not quite ready for selection,. He is still part of the squad and he will still come with us. We are hoping he will be right for Italy [8 February].”
