Wales have announced their team for their final Six Nations match of 2017 against France, and interim coach Rob Howley has decided to remain with the 23 man squad who dispatched Ireland 22-9 last weekend.
Hooker Ken Owens will win his 50th cap, while Taulupe Faletau will start on the bench having just returned from injury. While Wales will surely be focused on winning against the French, it must be creeping on the player’s minds that the selection for the lions is just 35 days away and this is their last international chance to impress Warren Gatland.
Howley clearly has put faith in his team to do the job on Saturday. If Ireland and Scotland were to lose, Wales could still finish 2nd behind England, a decent result for their season. This would also have a massive bearing on their World Cup 2019 seeding, with the chance to be a top seed potentially there for the taking.
Team Announcement: Wales name unchanged side to face @FFRugby @kenctsowens will win his 50th cap in Paris pic.twitter.com/pdtbvVznwm
— Welsh Rugby Union ? (@WelshRugbyUnion) March 15, 2017
Wales Squad to play France:
Evans, Owens, Francis, Ball, AW Jones (c), Warburton, Tipuric, Moriarty, Webb, Biggar, L Williams, S Williams, Davies, North, Halfpenny
Substitutes: Baldwin, Smith, Lee, Charteris, Faletau, G Davies, S Davies, Roberts.
Read More About: alun wyn jones, dan biggar, Gareth Davies, george north, jake ball, jamie roberts, Jonathan Davies, Justin Tipuric, ken owens, leigh halfpenny, liam williams, lions tour, Luke Charteris, rhys webb, Rob Evans, rob howley, Ross Moriarty, sam davies, sam warburton, Samson Lee, scott baldwin, Scott Williams, Taulupe Faletau, thomas francis, warren gatland
