Wales make three changes for crunch 6 Nations tie with France

Three changes have been made to the Wales team to take on France in Paris on Saturday (February 9), with captain Sam Warburton missing out with a shoulder injury.

Ryan Jones will step in to lead the side in Warburton’s absence, while there are also starts for Richard Hibbard and Justin Tipuric, both of the Ospreys.

Jones and Tipuric will pair up at flanker, with Toby Faletau at No8.

The game is also a big one for Jason Roberts, who will win his 50^th cap in the French capital.

Wales coach Rob Howley said: “It’s disappointing to have Sam ruled out but Ryan comes in as captain with a wealth of experience. Playing France in Paris is always a huge match, but we have worked hard as a squad this week and want to deliver a performance we know we are capable of.

“We didn’t start the tournament the way we wanted to on the weekend, but Saturday is a chance for us to go out and show what we can do. We know that we will have to start well, the way we finished the game against Ireland.”

Wales squad in full: Leigh Halfpenny, Alex Cuthbert, Jonathan Davies, Jamie Roberts, George North, Dan Biggar, Mike Phillips, Gethin Jenkins, Richard Hibbard, Adam Jones, Andrew Coombs, Ian Evans, Ryan Jones (captain), Justin Tipuric, Toby Faletau.

Replacements: Ken Owens, Paul James, Craig Mitchell, Lou Reed, Aaron Shingler, Lloyd Williams, James Hook, Scott Williams.