France vs Wales: Kick-off time, how to watch, team news and lineups

The hosts will likely be out to ship a commanding opening victory on house soil to throw down the early title gauntlet to back-to-back champions Eire, having been made favourites for this yr’s competitors after ending as runners-up to the Males in Inexperienced twice since successful a primary title since 2010 with their 2022 Grand Slam.

Their probabilities of glory have been considerably boosted by the return of Antoine Dupont, who was absent for final yr’s Six Nations having determined to signify his nation in rugby sevens as a substitute at their house Olympic Video games, occurring to ship gold.

It’s a really daunting begin to the marketing campaign for Wales, who endured a horrific 2024 – their worst yr ever – and enter this event having misplaced a document 12 Take a look at matches in a row.

Warren Gatland stays on the helm for now, however his place has come underneath intense scrutiny amid such a torrid run of kind that final yr included a primary Six Nations wood spoon since 2003.

France vs Wales is ready for an 8:15pm GMT kick-off on Friday January 31, 2025 on the Stade de France in Paris, which is internet hosting Six Nations video games once more this yr after renovation works triggered Les Bleus to play in Marseille, Lille and Lyon 12 months in the past.

TV channel: Within the UK, France vs Wales is being proven reside and free-to-air on ITV1 and Welsh-language channel S4C, with protection starting on each at 7:30pm GMT.

Stay stream: Free protection can be accessible on-line by way of ITVX and S4C Clic.

Stay weblog: You too can comply with Friday’s sport because it occurs with Commonplace Sport’s reside match weblog.

Dupont was again on 15-a-side France responsibility within the autumn, however Les Bleus have now been furthered boosted by the return of fly-half Romain Ntamack, who has not performed internationally because the summer time of 2023 as a consequence of harm.

35-year-old Leinster prop Rabah Slimani has earned a recall having not performed for his nation since 2020, whereas the uncapped second-division star Noah Nene and Joshua Brennan – son of former Eire star Trevor – have been among the many standout picks in Galthie’s wider 42-player event squad.

Hugo Auradou and Oscar Jegou have been each picked after aggravated rape expenses towards the pair have been dismissed by an Argentine courtroom in December.

Mathieu Jalibert is within the squad after leaving the French camp forward of their ultimate two autumn matches, however there are some key absentees together with former captain Charles Ollivon, who will miss the complete Six Nations after knee surgical procedure. Star wing Damian Penaud has additionally been battling a muscle criticism.

Centres Jonathan Danty and Gael Fickou are additionally sidelined for the time being, whereas wing Louis Bielle-Biarrey has been coping with an interior ear situation. Romain Taofifenua and Alexandre Roumat are amongst France’s different absentees.

As for Wales, fly-half Sam Costelow is not going to be accessible for the Six Nations after breaking his collarbone enjoying for Scarlets within the Problem Cup earlier this month.

Uncapped prop Ben Warren has been added to Gatland’s squad this week as a alternative for the injured WillGriff John.

Wales’ fortunes are usually not helped in any respect by a raft of different absentees together with captain and hooker Dewi Lake, who will miss the entire Six Nations after bicep surgical procedure. Again-rower Jac Morgan steps up as skipper in his absence.

Adam Beard, Mason Grady, Archie Griffin, Ryan Elias and Ben Carter are a number of the different gamers at the moment unavailable for Wales as a consequence of harm, whereas Gatland has made some notable omissions from his event squad together with Gareth Anscombe, Rio Dyer, Cameron Winnett, Taine Plumtree and Max Llewellyn.

Dan Edwards and Ellis Mee have been the 2 uncapped gamers known as up, however there’s much-needed expertise within the ranks too with the likes of Josh Adams, Liam Williams and Taulupe Faletau – who, together with James Botham, has been coping with an harm – all recalled together with Dafydd Jenkins, Sam Parry and Joe Roberts.

Fabien Galthie and Warren Gatland are each as a consequence of title their respective groups on Wednesday.

France are aiming to notch up a seventh successive win towards Wales, to whom they haven’t misplaced because the 2019 World Cup quarter-finals in Japan.

That they had beforehand misplaced each contest between the 2 nations between 2012-19 bar one, although have dominated the fixture in latest instances, successful every of the final 5 Six Nations showdowns together with final yr’s thrilling 45-24 bonus-point victory in Cardiff.

A Wales staff within the midst of a document dropping run may merely not have requested for a more durable begin to this Six Nations marketing campaign than opening night time away in Paris.

With the likes of Dupont and Ntamack again within the fold, France are favourites for the title with good motive and will likely be desirous to placed on a present on this curtain-raiser to ship an early warning shot to Eire, who host England in Dublin on Saturday.

Wales could be forgiven for maybe already having one eye on subsequent weekend’s journey to Rome, which can probably go a protracted approach to deciding if they’re staring down the barrel of one other winless marketing campaign and wood spoon.

Gatland wants to begin selecting up outcomes quick however this can be very tough to see how they’ll even make use of a lot by means of injury limitation right here, a lot much less stun fancied France, who’ve supreme attacking threats everywhere in the park.

Their solely hope for a considerably respectable night time is that they catch Les Bleus a little bit chilly in spherical one, with Galthie’s facet not but firing on all cylinders. However even that appears a really tall order.

France to win, by at the least 20 factors.

Odds by way of Betfair (topic to alter).