Basic events
There are only four Welsh players at 23 tonight played against South Africa in November, so it’s a bit of a restart for Gatland tonight.
The club form is rewarded and Cardiff’s Ben Thomas starts at 10. Blues brought the flag this season to URC and fifth on the table. Last season no Welsh clubs ended in the top half of the 16-team competition, so there were signs of improvement.
Wales came out to restore pride back to the badge.
So say Daffyd JenkinsWho talked to Rob Kitson.
The lock, which became the youngest captain in the history of the six countries last year, returned after an injury.
Wales lost 12 in a row and, to be honest, maybe it was 13 at the end of the night. But that does not mean that they cannot achieve the purpose Jenkins has set for the group.
More than Andy says France’s Rugby “needs some dupont magic”.
This is not the most organized build up for the side I will now choose as 2025 Grand Slam winners (you can –pin your colors on the flag).
Some high -profile players have become positive and the return of the skipper can brush scandals.
Tonight marked the official start of 25 years in six countries. It was 2000 when Italy joined the party and was shocked to defend Scotland champions on the opening night.
Check out some of the best photos that have taken all the years ago:
Wales team news
Jac Morgan finally captures the captain of his country in six countries, fullback Liam Williams and center Josh Adams bring backline experience, Dafydd Jenkins returns. It wasn’t all blacks of 2015 but Warren Gatland had a better group than he had last year. Maybe they’ll click?
What this means remains to be seen. There is a debutant on the hooker, a debutant fly-half on the bench and Henry Thomas, who used to play for England, is playing for Wales for the first time tonight.
“They are equipped,” Gatland said of his team. “There was a great buzz around the group. They were so beautiful. The next few days, it was about coaches that retreated and allowed players to rule.”
Wales: 15 Liam Williams (Saracens); 14 Tom Rogers (Scarlets), 13 Nick Tompkins (Saracens), 12 Owen Watkin (Ospreys), 11 Josh Adams (Cardiff); 10 Ben Thomas (Cardiff), 9 Tomos Williams (Gloucester); 1 Gareth Thomas (Ospreys), 2 Evan Lloyd (Cardiff), 3 Henry Thomas (Scarlets), 4 Will Rowlands (Racing 92), 5 Dafydd Jenkins (Exeter), 6 James Botham (Cardiff), 7 Jac Morgan (Ospreys, Captain ), 8 Aaron Wainwright (Dragons).
Replacement: Elliot Dee (Dragons), Nicky Smith (Leicester), Keiron Assiratti (Cardiff), Freddie Thomas (Gloucester), Tommy Reffell (Leicester), Rhodri Williams (Dragons), Dan Edwards (Ospreys), Blair Murray (Scarlets).
News to the French team
Dumack returned after 18 months. I usually hate the portmanteaus but the half -back pair of two toulouse generals deserves one. Romain Ntamack survived the 2023 World Cup with a knee injury and then 2024 with twanged calf. He returned to 10 to restore his double actions with Antoine Dupont.
Bordeaux’s Try-Machine Damian Penaud is nothing, joining the center of Gaël Fickou, Lock Thibaud Flament and the loose forward Charles Ollivon on the damage list. But this is still a team that is stacked with quality and prevention.
Pierre-Louis Barassi won his fourth cover after a four-year hiatus while former skipper Grégory Alldritt begins in the back row. Large hitters on 6-2 benches are waiting.
France: 15 Thomas Ramos (Toulouse); 14 Théo Attissogbé (Pau), 13 Pierre-Louis Barassi (Toulouse), 12 Yoram Moefana (Bordeaux Bègles), Louis Bielle-Biarrey (Bordeaux Bègles); 10 Romain Ntamack (Toulouse), 9 Antoine Dupont (Toulouse, Capt); 1 Jean-Baptiste Gros (Toulon), 2 Peato Mauvaka (Toulouse), 3 Uini Atonio (La Rochelle), 4 Alexandre Roumat (Toulouse), 5 Emmanuel Meafou (Toulouse), 6 François Cros (Toulouse), 7 Paul Boudehent (La (La Rochelle), 8 Grégory Alldritt (La Rochelle)
Replacement: 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).
PREAMBLE
Daniel Gallan
The day has come. Number Andy Bull said,
“Every six countries marks a move, it starts in the winter and ends in the spring. One of the factors it is dear is its filling the widest weekend of the year and we know that at the moment is at the day passes will come soon. “
This 25th edition feels a little special. Perhaps this is the fact that each side has something to prove. Maybe this is the walking tour of the Lions. This is probably at least half of the sides will love themselves. Maybe this is the return of the best player in the world.
Is Antoine Dupont the best of all time? This is a question that will run in March, giving him a lot of time to answer it as he has a goal in a Grand Slam.
Kicking Paris under the lights against Wales is probably the best draw on the table. Which is why Warren Gatland’s troops, despite their sad running, should feel without pressure.
Of course they play for the pride of a country and their own self -respect, but no one has given them a prayer. If they enter that arena and fly in contact, the box is smart and return themselves, they can leave with heads held high even when the result.
A good game of any kind will be an appropriate launch for a famous contest for lifting moods. There is a ton of negative news in this sport. Having this competition back is like a treatment.
Kick in Paris 21:15 local time, 20:15 bst.
Team news, updating and more to come.
If you want to interact and share your thoughts about this match or in six countries in general, drop me a mail.
