Wales vs France live: Struggling hosts face daunting test against Six Nations favourites in Cardiff

Referee: James Doleman (NZ)

Assistant Referees: Christophe Ridley (Eng) & Sam Grove-White (Sco)

Television Match Official: Richard Kelly (NZ)

Foul Play Review Officer: Mike Adamson (Sco)

It was striking again against England how lacking Wales were in terms of collision winners on both sides of the ball. This feels a punchier pack with Rhys Carre and Olly Cracknell adding plenty of carry threat, although they will still be significantly out-sized. I’d like to see more of Eddie James with ball in hand, too - the centre was not really given much to work with at Twickenham, although an alliance with club colleague Joe Hawkins may be helpful in that regard.

Fabien Brau-Boirie is the latest top talent off the French production line, with the Pau centre drawing comparisons to Yannick Jauzion. Only just 20, he’ll strike up his club partnership with Emilien Gailleton - a comparable veteran at 22 - in Cardiff today.

"Brau-Boirie has been with us for over a year. He performed well with the under-20s, trained with the French national team last year, and was also supposed to travel with us to New Zealand (last July) but injured his ankle," France coach Fabien Galthie said of the youngster. "He's a very young player but he's a regular for his club every weekend and has earned a place."

As well as team selection, there has been as much scrutiny on Steve Tandy's dual role as defence coach and head coach.

Wales have shipped 34 tries and conceded 248 points in Tandy's five games and it has been suggested the former Scotland and British and Irish Lions defence coach is spreading himself too thinly.

Tandy said of his dual role: "It is a lot. When I got here it was making sure I had the right people in the room, and Matt (Sherratt, attack coach) and Danny (Wilson, assistant coach) came in.

"I am really passionate about defence and I've really enjoyed it - and doing it with the head coaching role.

"But then it is about making sure you don't spread yourself too thinly. We are constantly assessing and reviewing it as it is a big demand.

"Hopefully it is something we are going to get in place for the (summer's) Nations Cup."

France are forced into a midfield rethink with all of Yoram Moefana, Nicolas Depoortere and Kalvin Gourgues ruled out of the trip to Cardiff. It is a Pau partnership paired in the centres, then, with debutant Fabien Brau-Boirie considered a top talent and alongside familiar company in Emilien Gailleton.

The rest of the starting side is unchanged, with Charles Ollivon and Mickael Guillard continuing in the second row despite the return of Thibaud Flament. The Toulouse lock has to be content with a place on the bench, from where he and Emmanuel Meafou, regular partner for club and country, could do plenty of damage. Noah Nene is another potential first-capper in jersey No 23.

France XV: 1 Jean Baptiste-Gros, 2 Julien Marchand, 3 Dorian Aldegheri; 4 Charles Ollivon, 5 Mickael Guillard; 6 Francois Cros, 7 Oscar Jegou, 8 Anthony Jelonch; 9 Antoine Dupont (capt.), 10 Matthieu Jalibert; 11 Louis Bielle-Biarrey, 12 Fabien Brau-Boirie, 13 Emilien Gailleton, 14 Theo Attissogbe; 15 Thomas Ramos.

Replacements: 16 Maxime Lamothe, 17 Rodrigue Neti, 18 Regis Montagne, 19 Thibaud Flament, 20 Emmanuel Meafou, 21 Lenni Nouchi; 22 Baptiste Serin, 23 Noah Nene.

Steve Tandy makes a handful of changes to the Welsh side thrashed by England in round one. No 8 Olly Cracknell is primed for a Six Nations debut in a reshuffled back row that also includes Aaron Wainwright and Alex Mann, while a swap of props sees Rhys Carre and Tomas Francis promoted from the bench.

Joe Hawkins is preferred to Ben Thomas at 12, and will partner clubmate Eddie James. It is a five forwards to three backs bench split named by Tandy.

Wales XV: 1 Rhys Carre, 2 Dewi Lake (capt.), 3 Tomas Francis; 4 Dafydd Jenkins, 5 Adam Beard; 6 Aaron Wainwright, 7 Alex Mann, 8 Olly Cracknell; 9 Tomos Williams, 10 Dan Edwards; 11 Josh Adams, 12 Joe Hawkins, 13 Eddie James, 14 Ellis Mee; 15 Louis Rees-Zammit.

Replacements: 16 Ryan Elias, 17 Nicky Smith, 18 Archie Griffin, 19 Ben Carter, 20 Taine Plumtree; 21 Kieran Hardy, 22 Jarrod Evans, 23 Mason Grady.

Tomas Francis says it means "everything" to play for Wales again after leaving home to perform on a French stage complete with pitchside oysters and champagne.

Francis headed for Provence nearly three years ago and admits it is a different world to the one he knew at Exeter and Ospreys.

Until last weekend, when he appeared as a second-half substitute in the 48-7 thrashing against England, Francis had not played for Wales since the 2023 World Cup.

The intervening years may have been tough for Welsh rugby fans to digest - with Wales having lost 22 of 24 Test matches - but it is an environment the 33-year-old prop could not wait to rejoin.

"Rugby in France is an entertainment business," said Francis, who wins his 79th cap today and will join Sale next season.

"I play in the second division where my team's had two and a half years of sell-outs.

"They serve oysters on the side of the pitch, they have champagne. There's a party in the bodega after, and the rugby matches that.

"When we play at home for Provence it's 'joue' (play), on top. Then (Top 14 teams) play Castres away and it's a dogfight, and the fans love that just as much."

Steve Tandy insists Wales is a "rugby nation" despite tens of thousands of tickets remaining unsold for this year's Six Nations.

Wales have historically put up 'sold out' signs for Test matches at their 74,500-seater Principality Stadium home, with rugby often referred to as the "national sport".

But on Friday morning, according to the Welsh Rugby Union's official ticket site, there were 15,300 unsold tickets for today’s clash with France, 6,700 left for Scotland next weekend, and 27,000 for Italy's visit in March.

The apparent apathy from supporters comes with Wales suffering the worst run of results in its history, winning only twice in 24 games and having lost 12 Six Nations matches in a row.

Reigning champions France are expected to inflict more misery in Cardiff as Tandy seeks to turn around Welsh fortunes after being thumped by England in their Six Nations opener.

Asked if Wales was still a rugby country with swathes of tickets still available, Tandy said: "Absolutely. I think it tells me we're a rugby nation with all the disappointment there has been.

"Everybody in Wales wants us to be back at the top of the table.

"It is not in a great place at the minute, but I believe we will get there. It's going to take everyone - not just the players, but the coaches, the supporters - to get us back to where we want to be as a nation.

"We're in a different place to some of the teams we've played over the last four or five games, but we are striving to be there."

Head coach Andy Farrell praised Ireland’s resilience after they survived a major scare to scrape an unconvincing 20-13 Guinness Six Nations victory over Italy.

The error-strewn hosts trailed 10-5 at half-time in Dublin before hanging on as the Azzurri pushed to salvage a draw during a breathless finale.

While Ireland ultimately bounced back from a chastening 36-14 round-one loss away to France, a disjointed display at a subdued Aviva Stadium did little to quell concerns they are a fading force.

“That’s the bigger picture stuff, the character, because we were playing against a very good Italian side that was never going to go away,” said Farrell.

“But it was more than that. They were trying to batter the door down at the end. The resilience we showed to win the game was fantastic to see.

It was a sticky old outing for Ireland, meanwhile, with Sam Prendergast’s struggles contrasting with a strong showing off the bench from Jack Crowley as that battle for No 10 rumbles on.