Six Nations: France v Wales betting preview, teams, TV details and tips

Stade de France, Paris
BBC1 & S4C, 8pm Friday

Friday night in Paris is far from a romantic assignation for Wales and there will be little love lost in what looks sure to be a brutal and hard-fought Six Nations opener against Les Bleus.

Wales will remember all too well their last outing at the Stade de France two years ago, when they reached the 80-minute mark holding an 18-13 lead.

What followed was the most extraordinary episode of rugby as France were awarded scrum penalty after penalty five metres out from the Welsh line. The Welsh pack and defence held on grimly but couldn't clear and eventually resistance broke for Damien Chouly to score a try. The time of the match-winning conversion was officially recorded as 80+21.

Remarkably that was the only French victory in the last seven meetings between the two and Wales had also won the two previous matches in Paris.

And that is not the only reason why they approach this huge clash with confidence. For the first time Wales go into the Six Nations with an unblemished autumn series behind them - four wins from four including successes over South Africa and, for the first time in 13 attempts, Australia.

Wales are also fired-up by the knowledge that this is inspirational coach Warren Gatland's final year and they would love to deliver another title to the man who has already collected three in his 11-year spell.

Gatland has had his hand forced by injury but there was some good news for him as he made his team selection for the opener. Number eight Taulupe Faletau was already ruled but Ross Moriarty, who performed so well as Faletua's stand-in two years ago, is fit to start after a spell on the sidelines following concussion protocols.

Fellow concussion victim Leigh Halfpenny must sit it out a bit longer but Liam Williams gets the nod at full-back meaning Cardiff's Gareth Anscombe, who started three of the four November internationals, starts at fly-half, keeping Dan Biggar on the bench.

For France there's something old and something new, as scrum-half Morgan Parra starts his first Six Nations match for four years while much-heralded Romain Ntamack, son of 1997 Grand Slam winner Emile, makes his debut.

The 19-year-old pairs up with Wesley Fofana in the centre, but although the line-up might offer hope that we see some of the old French flair back in the game, a rainy forecast suggests otherwise, and this clash has a history of low-scoring, hard-fought affairs.

There was one point in it last year in Cardiff, the margin was two points in Paris in 2017, and first-round matches are so often dominated by defences as avoiding defeat is the overriding priority.

Wales are a shade of odds-against with some firms while others make it a scratch game, and the value must be to back a narrow victory.

And if is a low-scoring battle and tries are scarce, there could be some value in the lower end of the tryscorer market too.

Wales scrum-half Tomos Williams scored his first tries for Wales in the summer and autumn last year and could be the man on the spot if the Wales forwards take it to their opponents up front.

Recommendations
Wales to win by one to 12 points
2pts 15-8 BetBright
T Williams first tryscorer
1pt each-way 18-1 Betfair

Teams
France: M Medard (Toulouse); D Penaud (Clermont), W Fofana (Clermont), R Ntamack (Toulouse), Y Huget (Toulouse); C Lopez (Clermont), M Parra (Clermont); J Poirot (Bordeaux), G Guirado (Toulon), U Atonio (La Rochelle), S Vahaamahina (Clermont), P Willemse (Montpellier), W Lauret (Racing 92), A Iturria (Clermont), L Picamoles (Montpellier).
Replacements: J Marchand (Toulouse), D Priso (La Rochelle), D Bamba (Brive), F Lambey (Lyon), G Alldritt (La Rochelle), B Serin (Bordeaux), G Fickou (Stade Francais), G Doumayrou (La Rochelle).

Wales: L Williams (Saracens); G North (Ospreys), J Davies (Scarlets), H Parkes (Scarlets), J Adams (Worcester); G Anscombe (Cardiff Blues), T Williams (Cardiff Blues); R Evans (Scarlets), K Owens (Scarlets), T Francis (Exeter), A Beard (Ospreys), A W Jones (Ospreys, capt), J Navidi (Cardiff Blues), J Tipuric (Ospreys), R Moriarty (Dragons).
Replacements: E Dee (Dragons), W Jones (Scarlets), S Lee (Scarlets), C Hill (Dragons), A Wainwright (Dragons), G Davies (Scarlets), D Biggar (Northampton), O Watkin (Ospreys).

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