Wales team to play France in full as Taulupe Faletau out
Taulupe Faletau will play no part in Wales' Six Nations opener against France in Paris.
Josh Adams and Liam Williams make make their Test return for the Six Nations curtain-raiser, having missed large chunks of 2024. But No. 8 Faletau, who hasn't played for Wales since 2023, is not involved.
Faletau's involvement had previously been in doubt, but Gatland had insisted last week he was fit to start.
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Gatland, with his job firmly on the line after receiving a stay of execution after a record 12 Test defeats in a row, has largely plumped for experience where possible.
In midfield, Gatland has opted for his two most-capped centres. Nick Tompkins and Owen Watkin have 80 caps between them, but have started just four times together for Wales.
The last time they were named in the same Wales side was last year's Six Nations opener against Scotland, they found themselves 27-0 down after 42 minutes before Watkin was replaced by Mason Grady. Since then, Gatland has used four other centre combinations - with three of those partnerships now off-limits due to retirement, injuries or players simply being overlooked.
It's understood Scarlets centre Joe Roberts, who could have been an option at outside centre, is unavailable for the trip to Paris.
As reported by WalesOnline on Tuesday, there's first starts for front-rowers Henry Thomas and Evan Lloyd in Paris. Tighthead Thomas and hooker Lloyd have won all nine of their combined caps from the bench, but Gatland has opted to start both on Friday night - although prop Keiron Assiratti, named on the bench, is understood to have been struggling with a back spasm.
In the second-row, Dafydd Jenkins returns to the Wales team after missing the autumn, partnering Will Rowlands, while Gatland is unable to reunite his World Cup back-row of Aaron Wainwright, Jac Morgan and Faletau. James Botham starts, with Morgan taking on the captaincy for the first time since that tournament in France.
In the backline, Ben Thomas is handed the fly-half jersey, having spent the autumn in midfield. He partners former Cardiff team-mate Tomos Williams, who is back at scrum-half after missing the latter part of the autumn through injury.
In the back-three, Tom Rogers starts alongside the returning Adams and Williams following an impressive autumn campaign.
In every position other than the front-row and openside flanker, Gatland has opted for the most caps available to him.
There are just four survivors in the starting XV from the side that were beaten by South Africa at the end of the autumn, with Rowlands, Botham, Morgan and Thomas the only starters remaining from that 45-12 defeat in Cardiff.
However, with 205 caps in the starting side that day, Gatland now has over double the caps available to him for the start of the 2025 Six Nations.
With 487 caps in the starting XV for Paris, that's more than last year's Six Nations opener - when Wales had 413 caps in their ranks to face Scotland - but still half of their last side to travel to Paris. The team that lost to France two years ago at the end of a tumultuous 2023 Six Nations were just three caps shy of a thousand in their starting team.
On the bench, Freddie Thomas gets the nod to cover the second-row, with Tommy Reffell called upon to cover the back-row. There's also a potential debut for Dan Edwards, with the Ospreys fly-half amongst the replacements.
Wales: Liam Williams; Tom Rogers, Nick Tompkins, Owen Watkin, Josh Adams; Ben Thomas, Tomos Williams; Gareth Thomas, Evan Lloyd, Henry Thomas, Will Rowlands, Dafydd Jenkins, James Botham, Jac Morgan (captain), Aaron Wainwright.
Replacements: Elliot Dee, Nicky Smith, Keiron Assiratti, Freddie Thomas, Tommy Reffell, Rhodri Williams, Dan Edwards, Blair Murray.
