A big game for both teams, each looking for their second win of the campaign. The return of Brice Dulin will delight the French and also the neutral, his exciting pace can liven up any game, and Lamerat comes in for Basteraud, the prop-turned-centre now on the bench. Romain Taofifenua is in for the banned Pascal Pape, Sofiane Guitone comes in on the wing and Morgan Parra replaces Kockott at scrum-half. I was confused by the selection of the half backs at the beginning of the 6 Nations, two sets of club mates not paired together didn't make sense, and now against Wales we will see the Clermont half-backs get their chance against the Welsh.
Welsh fans will be delighted to see that Cuthbert has been dropped, and it is the out-of-form, slightly concussed George North that returns to the fold for Gatland. Anything is an improvement on Cuthbert though, which is why Scarlets' captain Scott Williams is now the cover on the bench for the back three. With Samson Lee back as well the Welsh will look to the scrum to gain some ground against the French, although Gatland insists playing Jenkins ahead of James, when the latter is clearly a superior scrummager. Baldwin and Charteris look like positive improvements to the starting fifteen, and have a great chance to cement a starting spot here, so look for big performances from the hooker and the lock.
Both teams have won one and lost one, beaten the Scots and lost to one of the best teams in the world, Ireland and England. I'd say that with home advantage the French will be the victors, neither have particularly impressed, but I'd say Wales have been the more underwhelming, a non-existent second half against the English and it was a miracle that they scraped past the Scots. The French backs will need to impress, Dulin, Fofana and Huget in particular, and if they hit their stride I think they'll deal with Warrenball and the Welsh physicality, and come away with a 5-9 point victory.
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