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Warren Gatland’s men travel to Rome on Saturday afternoon as they continue their 2025 Guinness Six Nations against Italy. 

Experienced number eight, Taulupe Faletau, will make his first start for Wales since 2023. The last time the 34-year-old played for Wales, they put aside Georgia 43-19 in Nantes and that was the last time they had tasted a Test match victory. He was unavailable for the French clash due to a knee issue, which meant Dragons RFC’s Aaron Wainwright wore the eight jersey. 

Another player returning to the Welsh team is Scarlets, Eddie James who makes his first Test start for Wales. He has represented Wales on three occasions, coming off the bench, and made one start against Queensland Reds in an uncapped match last summer. 

Wales have flown from their training camp in Nice to the Eternal City where they will aim to stop the drought of Test match defeats. Before that however Gatland sat down for a pre-match press conference and here are the five main talking points.

1- “He brings experience and a little bit of X-factor”- Gatland on return of Faletau.

“We know what an outstanding player he’s been in the past for Wales. He hasn’t had a lot of games in the last few years,” explained Gatland.

“Just having him back gives everyone a bit of confidence. In terms of the way he’s trained and he’s looking good.

“He wasn’t quite right last week with his knee, so it has been tough on him with the injuries he’s had over the last couple of years.

“Hopefully, with him we are looking for some of those special traits he has to get us on the front foot and hopefully inspire the players around him.”

2- First Test match start for Eddie James 

Eddie James will pick up his fourth international Cap on Saturday and he’ll do so by starting for the very first time. He replaces injured Owen Watkin who went off in the opening 40 minutes last Friday in Paris due to a knee injury.

22-year-old, James will join Nick Tompkins in the centre which is the 24th starting duo in the twelve and thirteen channel since 2020. 

On starting James, Gatland explained: “With Eddie, it’s about giving him that opportunity and confidence. 

“He’s not just a big guy in terms of being able to carry the ball forward but he’s got some lovely skills and hands.

“We’ve been encouraging him to do that with some of his passing and offloading game.

“He gives us an opportunity to get over the gain line with his size.”

3- “I don’t agree with that”- Gatland on how big this encounter is

Former Wales international, Dan Biggar stated that this match on Saturday afternoon is the biggest match in 15-20 years for Wales. However, sitting in the sunshine of the Cote d’Azur, Gatland admitted that the encounter with the Azzurri is not the biggest match in recent times. If Wales fall to another defeat in Rome it will be their 14th consecutive defeat, and you wonder whether the wooden spoon will be heading back to Wales. 

“It’s definitely not the biggest game Wales have had in 20 years,” insisted Gatland. 

“We know the situation we’re in with the amount of players and experience we’ve lost.

“We’ve been in some close games but unfortunately we haven’t been able to get over the line. We know we’re in a bit of a rebuilding phase and aware we’ve got some tough games in this competition.

“It’s an important game for us. We’re desperate to get a win. That’s the most important thing.”

4- Defeat could see Wales drop to 12th place in the World Rankings

Wales currently sit in 11th place which is one place behind Saturday’s opposition, Italy. Georgia who sit in 12th place could jump ahead of Wales if they are successful in dispatching the Netherlands on Saturday afternoon. 

On getting a win, Gatland added: “It will get the monkey off your back and grow some confidence”

“It would help players put their shoulders back a little bit and stand a little bit taller. Those are the important things for that because I know how hard they are working and how hard they are trying.

“I haven’t seen any of the external pressure. If you absorb yourself in that, I don’t see it as being positive in trying to portray to the players what we’re asking them to do.

“We’re asking them to be positive and have confidence and self belief. I look at every game as being very important,” said Gatland.

5- What he expects from Gonzalo Quesada’s Italian side

Wales have a strong record in Rome, having not lost there since 2007 but their last trip to the city was their last Victory in the Six Nations. However, this is a completely different Welsh team heading to the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday and Italy come into the match after a 31-19 defeat away to Scotland.

“What impressed me about them was their fight,” Gatland explained. 

“They are a team who won’t go away. They’ll compete hard at the breakdown and are a tough team to go away.

“We’ve spoken as a group about how important this game is for us. Players have taken some leadership and ownership this week. You try to be positive as much as you can. You try not to look at the white noise from the outside.

“That’s hugely important. We are focusing on ourselves and preparing for this week. Every game is important. 

“You concentrate on preparation and those things take care of themselves. We didn’t express ourselves as much as we could have last week. We need to make sure we execute and take our chances.

“A win would give us confidence and I know how hard they are trying to get that W,” concluded Gatland. 

Back row James Botham has admitted that his side need to start the match more aggressively against the Azzurri’s. It could lead to a second successive Wooden Spoon if they don’t, as in the coming weeks they face Ireland, Scotland and England.   

Wales have not won a Six Nations game since their last trip to the Stadio Olimpico in 2023 and are unbeaten in the Eternal City since 2007. However, it’s an entirely different Welsh side heading to Rome on Saturday afternoon after last Friday’s demoralising 43-0 defeat to France. It’s now 13 consecutive defeats for Warren Gatland’s side and if Wales pick up a 14th loss in a row, it could see them drop below Georgia after the weekend’s action.  

Wales currently sit in 11th place underneath both Fiji and Italy in the World Rankings. Richard Cockerill’s Georgian host Netherlands around the same time on Saturday afternoon and it could see Wales plummet even further down the rankings if they lose to Italy.

“We need to get the win now and set ourselves up for the rest of the Six Nations and see if we can finish in a better position than we did last year,” said Botham.

“Every game is big, but obviously everyone keeps referring back to this losing streak and everything like that.

“We gotta come out all guns blazing, first twenty (minutes), and put our game on them and show them what we can do.”

It’s not the brightest of pictures for Warren Gatland who since returning to Wales has only won six Test matches out of 25 and hasn’t won a Six Nations game since 2023.

Italy come into the encounter on the back of a 31-19 defeat against Scotland at Murrayfield. However, in their last three meetings in the Six Nations they have won twice against Wales, but haven’t done so on home soil in nearly two decades.

On the Azzurri and what they propose, Botham said: “They are all very good aren’t they, so they are going to be very passionate about it and it’s going to be a good battle between the back row’s and that’s sometimes where games are won. 

“We go back in with the same sort of game plan, obviously slightly different as it’s a different team so things will tweak and then we gotta execute it and hopefully those one-percenters go our way,” Botham added.

Wales head to the Stadio Comunale di Monigo, Treviso on Friday evening as they look to bounce back after a brutal 63-19 defeat to France in the opening round.

Head coach Richard Whiffin has made four changes to his starting XV that played in Vannes last Saturday. Ioan Emanuel drops onto the bench as he is replaced by Louie Trevett. Dragons RFC, Nick Thomas who went off injured prior to halftime last weekend is replaced by Dan Gemine in the second row.

Within the backline, Osian Roberts is set for his U20s debut at outside-centre as he replaces Cardiff Rugby’s Elijah Evans who drops onto the bench. Speedster, Tom Bowen who came off the bench last timeout, comes into the starting XV as he replaces Harry Rees-Weldon.

Head coach, Whiffin said ahead of the trip to Italy: “The score-line didn’t really reflect how the game was.

“We felt we were in the game the whole time, so we’ve pushed on that and looked at the positives but obviously there are areas where we need to improve.

“We’ve gone through the game in large detail and there were lots of positives to come out of it. I thought our pack fronted up incredibly well.

“Up to 50 minutes we were right in the game but a couple of contentious decisions probably didn’t go our way. Yes, the wheels came off when trying to chase the game a little bit but I actually thought there was some really good elements from our team we can hang our hat on.

“We’re confident in every single game we go in to. We’ve got a good plan that we are going after. Italy are a big physical team but there’s opportunities for us to move them around and be smart with our kicking game and try and preserve some space for our outside backs to get on top of them,” concluded Whiffin.

Italy U20 vs Wales U20, Stadio Comunale di Monigo, Fri  7 Feb, 19.15, S4C

Starting XV:

15 Scott Delnevo (Aberavon)
14 Aidan Boshoff (Bristol Bears)
13 Osian Roberts (Sale Sharks)
12 Steffan Emanuel (Cardiff Rugby)
11 Tom Bowen (Cardiff Rugby)
10 Harri Wilde (Cardiff Rugby)
9 Logan Franklin (Dragons RFC);
1 Louie Trevett (Bristol Bears)
2 Harry Thomas (Scarlets)
3 Sam Scott (Bristol Bers)
4 Kenzie Jenkins (Bristol Bears)
5 Dan Gemine (Ospreys)
6 Deian Gwynne (Gloucester)
7 Harry Beddall (C, Leicester Tigers)
8 Evan Minto (Dragons RFC)

Replacements:

16 Saul Hurley (Aberavon)
17 Ioan Emanuel (Bath Rugby)
18 Jac Pritchard (Scarlets)
19 Tom Cottle (RGC)
20 Ryan Jones (Dragons RFC)
21 Sion Davies (Cardiff Rugby)
22 Harri Ford (Dragons)
23 Elijah Evans (Cardiff Rugby)

Wales fell to a brutal and demoralising 43-0 defeat to France on Friday evening at the Stade de France, the first time in their history in the Six Nations they have failed to score a point. 

You have to go back 23 years, where Wales lost just one point more than they did on Friday night, which came against Ireland, where the deficit was 44 points that day. 

Wales head coach Warren Gatland recalled a handful of experienced players for the opening match of the championship, with Cardiff Rugby’s Josh Adams getting the nod to start on the left wing. However, with that added experience, they couldn’t stop one of the best players on the planet, Antoine Dupont, from working his magic. 

On the comprehensive defeat on Friday evening at the Stade de France, Josh Adams said: “I’m gutted, to be honest. 

“It felt like we put a lot of effort into that as a squad for little reward really. It’s a difficult assessment really. Their power game is obviously very, very good. Weirdly, I thought we actually dealt with it alright. 

“Our forwards did a really good job to gain momentum around the fringes of the ruck, which is like one of their big plays with Dupont moving. I think it was just like it’d be one missed tackle, one penalty, and we’re just back into our 22 and they’re so clinical there. So it wasn’t as if it was like they were carving us apart and playing like the Allez, French sort of way. 

“They were physical lads, don’t get me wrong and are very clinical when they get the opportunity. 

“I don’t think I can’t ever question anyone’s commitment to this team and whoever puts this jersey on, I know they will give their right arm or right leg for this side, and I certainly would as well.

“I go out there, and I give nothing but my best every single time, I try and do what’s best for the team. I think some power of other teams, tend to get on top of us sometimes and maybe we struggle to cope with that momentum. 

“There are ways to negate that but it’s a lot of learning and it has been difficult at times to stop that sort of play and teams gain momentum and like you said there is a lot of boys learning on the job as we are a young side. I get that and we’ve said that many times haven’t we. 

“I think on a positive spin from my view was the way we started the game really well, I hope that everyone could see a bit of attacking ambition from us with how we wanted to play. 

“I thought we did cause them some issues. The challenge is to do it better, because the areas we got into at the beginning of the game were really good and we have to be better at that. I’m sure this week in Nice will help.

Saturday’s game against Italy after a training week in the Côte d’Azur, as ITV pundit and former Wales international Dan Biggar put it is simply the “biggest game in 15-20 years”, and it is pretty hard to argue against that.

Wales have been starved of a Test win since the 2023 World Cup meeting against Georgia as Wales have now fallen to their 13th consecutive defeat. In the build-up to the meeting, it will hot up with players injured, some call ups will definitely need to be made but if they lose, will that decide the fate of Warren Gatland’s future? 

In his second stint as head coach he has overseen just six wins in a total of 25 matches and a loss against Italy could leave them at the foot of the table for the second consecutive year.

“It’s huge isn’t it, we said that in the changing rooms after the game,” Adams admitted.

“We’ve got to be a lot better in certain areas. Italy are a really good side actually, they got nice continuity haven’t they. They got a twelve and thirteen who play together a lot in Treviso, they got a nice balance in the back three with some big runners and their pack seems to be cohesive, they’ve been together in a couple of campaigns so they are a very improved team, physical side. 

“Teams don’t give them credit for how physical they are because they are a very physical team. It’s going to be another battle like we had today (Friday evening), especially up front, but there are areas that we need to get better at.”

Adams has been involved in some of the best moments in Welsh rugby in recent times, playing in Grand Slam deciders for Wales, but come Saturday afternoon in the Eternal city of Rome, Wales will perhaps find out their fate in this years Six Nations and also most certainly will Warren Gatland. 

“It’s at the wrong end of the table unfortunately, but look we understand the run we’ve been on, its thirteen tonight and we want that to stop obviously. 

“We are working tirelessly to stop that. It is a big game for us, we understand that but not many people have given us any hope this campaign, so we are going to try and use that to our advantage and I think Nice will be a really good opportunity for us to stay tight and try and motivate ourselves to put in a big performance for the country as well,” Adams concluded. 

France began their 2025 U20s Six Nations with a hard fought win over a spirited Welsh side at the Stade de la Rabine, Vannes.

Braces from both Lyam Akrab and Xan Mousques, and solo efforts from Ugo Pacome, Fabian Brau-Boirie, Robin Taccola, Nathan Llaueria, and Edouard-Junior Jabea Kjocke saw Les Blues win under the lights in Brittany.

Wales didn’t make it all plain sailing for the hosts as a brace from Harry Thomas and a solo try from Aidan Boshoff but after a poor second-half France cruised to score more than 50.

France U20s:

Tries: Lyam Akrab (3, 41), Ugo Pacome (27), Xan Mousques (50, 55), Fabian Brau-Boirie (54), Robin Taccola (71), Nathan Llaueria (77), Edouard-Junior Jabea Njocke (80)

Conversions: Diego Jurd (4, 27, 41, 51, 55, 55, 71, 78, 81)

Penalties:

Yellow Cards: Antoine Deliance (31)

Wales U20s:

Tries: Aidan Boshoff (16), Harry Thomas (33, 58)

Conversions: Harri Wilde (39) Harri Ford (59

Penalties:

Yellow Cards: Harry Beddall (40)

France U20s Player Ratings:

15. Ugo Pacome- 4.5/10

Try scorer, Pacome made some brilliant runs through the visitors defence but at times under the high ball fumbled possession.

14. Mathis Ibo- 5.5/10

Showed a lot of pace on the outside but didn’t really make much of an impact to his side’s performance apart from the odd occasion in attack.

13. Robin Taccola- 6/10

Big carrier and ran some brilliant lines which at times got through the visitors defence, overall it was a decent showing from the player playing at his clubs ground as he capped off a great night with a try.

12. Lucas Vigneres- 5.5/10

Another player who was utilised well in attack for the hosts and was great in defence shutting down a couple of opportunities that the visitors threw at his side.

11. Xan Mousques- 6/10

Like his fellow partner on the wing, Mousques showed his pace at times and also crossed on two occasions in the second-half.

10. Diego Jurd- 6/10

The left footed kicker was the main goal kicker for the hosts, went 3/3 in the first half and he showed some quick handling skills.

9. Baptiste Tilloles- 4.5/10

The Bayonne man was great at keeping the pace up for his side when in attack and kept the visitors on their toes around the breakdown area. But parts of his game were sloppy at times.

8. Elyjah Ibsaiene- 5.5/10

The number eight was a brilliant ball carrier who made some big hits on the defence of the visitors but like a few of the forwards he did a lot of the unseen work.

7. Marceau Marzullo- 6/10

He was a great asset in defence for the hosts as he showed great strength around the breakdown area when Wales looked to be in an attacking opportunity.

6. Antoine Deliance 4/10

It was a clumsy act from the blindside as he was yellow carded on the 31-minute mark as he made direct head contact with Sam Scott. Perhaps he can count himself lucky that it wasn’t worse.

5. Corentin Mezou- C 5/10

Mezou before the game stood head and shoulders above Harry Beddall during the coin toss and was used well in attack with some big carries.

4. Bartholome Sanson- 4.5/10

Like his counterpart in the second row, Sanson carried well but that was really it for the Lyon man.

3. Owen Sorhaindo- 4.5/10

Scrummaged well but was equally matched well against Ioan Emanuel as it was a great contest when it came to scrum time but the rest of his work went unnoticed.

2. Lyam Akrab 6/10

The hooker who scored a brace inside the opening 40 minutes was simply unstoppable from short range and also was strong at lineout time.

1. Samuel Jean-Christophe- 4/10

Didn’t do anything eye catching but was great at scrum time and was a great asset in defence.

Wales U20s Player Ratings:

15. Scott Delnevo- 6/10

The Aberavon player who has been playing some great stuff in Super Rygbi Cymru l, carried that form into this game. He was great at breaking through the hosts defence and wasn’t afraid to have a go in defence as well.

14. Harry Rees-Weldon- 5/10

Compared to Boshoff it was a quiet night at the office for the 20-year-old as he didn’t make much of an impact off the wing but used his size to his advantage when in attack.

13. Elijah Evans- 5/10

Evans who has been playing a lot this season for Cardiff RFC brought his form from those performances and a made it a decent outing especially in defence.

12. Steffan Emanuel- 6.5/10

Like his counterpart in the centre, Emanuel has been playing some brilliant rugby in Super Rygbi Cymru and brought that into this contest with some expert handling. He had the X-Factor of offloading short passes and even long passes, he was the main protagonist when the visitors were in attack.

11. Aidan Boshoff- 6.5/10

Boshoff probably had the more standout moments for the visitors this evening in Vannes and he is hard to miss with his mullet. His work rate was immense and in attack was great at putting his side on the front foot when given a chance.

10. Harri Wilde- 6/10

Like his outside man, Emanuel, Wilde was great at putting his side in some great attacking opportunities and had a very strong kicking game.

9. Logan Franklin- 5.5/10

The Dragons RFC player was making his U20s debut at scrum half and had some great link up plays with his partner in the halfbacks as they tried to create opportunities for the visitors.

8. Evan Minto- 5.5/10

Ran some powerful great lines, had a quiet start to proceedings but once he got going he definitely showed his qualities.

7. Harry Beddall- 5/10

Despite being yellow carded prior to the interval, Beddall was a great ball carrier but I would’ve wanted to see more from the Wales skipper.

6. Deian Gwynne- 5/10

Another one who was making his first start for Wales, he put in a great showing in both attack and defence but a bit like Beddall, it needed to be more.

5. Nick Thomas- 5/10

Thomas went off injured just before halftime but up until that time he was great in both attack and defence for Wales. On 65-minutes he was seen using crutches going down the tunnel, perhaps a tournament ending injury.

4. Kenzie Jenkins- 4.5/10

The second row was making his debut and it was a fairly quiet display beside the odd big run when the visitors were in attack.

3. Sam Scott- 5/10

His work rate was definitely worth noting in his rating and at times he was strong at scrum time before being replaced.

2. Harry Thomas- 5/10

Like his opposite number, Thomas followed suit in scoring two tries for his side and was powerful in defence. His arrows when it came to the lineout were also on point.

1. Ioan Emanuel- 5/10

Like his brother he had a great showing but it was a bit under par compared to his other performances in recent outings. Like his fellow members in the front row his work rate is something that needed to be mentioned as it was quality.

My Experience in Paris: 2025 Men’s Six Nations opener- France vs Wales 

I arrived into the French capital mid Friday afternoon where it was a carbon copy of how I left London Heathrow that morning, wet and cold. I headed straight to my hotel at Charles De Gaulle so I could drop off my bags and head straight to the Stade de France to be in and around the crowd to get a sense of the atmosphere. 

With the roads gridlocked perhaps it wasn’t the smartest of ideas to book an Uber over to the stadium. Instead I opted for The RER (Réseau Express Régional) train and after riding 10 stops through the suburbs of Paris I arrived at La Plaine Stade de France station. I was met with a sea of blue and smell of smoke as I joined the thousands of passionate French Rugby fans heading up the avenue leading to the magnificent Stade de France. It was a rather picturesque walk up towards the media accreditation pick-up point as the stadium was lit up in the countries National colours of red, white and blue as the rain kept pouring but that didn’t damper the mood of anyone. As there was burger stands with big queues, bars rammed and even some live music performing as anticipation to the first whistle grew. 

After waiting in the media queue for a good quarter of an hour in the pouring rain, I headed to the desk where I tried to impress by speaking in French. However, the guy on the desk clocked straight away I was a Welsh reporter and spoke English back to me so that made it easier for me. 

French is a language I am familiar with, having lived in the country for a couple of years when I was younger, and that’s where I found my passion for rugby supporting ASM Clermont Aurvegne. After saying abiento (see you later), to the media man I headed for the press room to dry off and warm up. 

One of the more pleasant surprises for myself was what came with the media card they handed me. It was a branded French Rugby lanyard which was attached, which is something I wish other teams would do instead of wristbands. For weeks now I’ve been needing a new lanyard for my car keys and this will most certainly do the job. Once in the press room I fired up my laptop, where I would start writing down my player ratings as I like to put some facts in about the players before actually talking about how they actually performed just to add some more context. Having only eaten a ham and cheese toastie and a Cappuccino earlier in the day and with British Airways only offering a bottle of Harrogate Water and a bag of ready salted nuts on the flight over, it must be said I was hungry. 

But as I am sitting there with my food consisting of a chicken caesar salad wrap, ready salted crisp and bottle of Coke Zero it dawned on me how lucky I was. I am in Paris getting ready to cover my first Six Nations game as a University Student who only dreamed of doing this. Then, all of a sudden Shane Williams walks into the room, followed by Josh Navidi and then to top it all off one of my favourite players growing up James Hook came into the media room. All three eating the same food as me with the same reaction when struggling to open the packet of crisps that was given to us. 

There was a lot of firsts for myself on this trip but having to open a packet of crisps down the side of the packet instead of the top was something that probably shocked me the most. With all that said and done I quickly grabbed a much needed cup of coffee and headed into the stadium for the very first time since 2013. The last time I visited the Stade de France, I was 8-years-old and probably one of the most bizarre but more memorable moments was when George North crossed over in the corner to be joined in celebration by his own father who managed to get onto the pitch. 

I was sat in the corner for that game but this time around I found myself bang on the half way line and after using my media pass, I found my allocated media desk. It was a good job that I had a coffee with me as it was just above freezing as I sat and watched the players warm-up. I was waiting for one thing and that was the arrival of French superstar, Antoine Dupont who is arguably the best player in the world at the moment. I didn’t actually see the scrum-half make his way out of the tunnel but my word did you know he was out there with the Stade de France offering him a rapturous welcome. Kickoff soon approached and this was met with a brilliant light show and a massive French shirt that was centre stage in the middle of the stadium for everyone to see. Those thousands that I talked about earlier turned into tens of thousands as in the build up to kickoff, Alles Les Blues rang around the Stade de France as the players waited eagerly in the tunnel. 

There was an incredible light show and fireworks which went off as both teams headed out of the tunnel. I would really like to know what the decibel levels were when they came out as it was deafening. One thing is for sure the French know how to put on a show and it was very fitting that they hosted the curtain raiser for the 2025 instalment of the Six Nations. 

Now I would be lying if I said I didn’t belt out the Welsh National anthem as did many of the Welsh Reporters in the media area. However that was nothing compared to the La Marseillaise, as again that was sang passionately by over 77,000 supporters packed into the Stade de France. Then after every time France scored it was met by the try scorers name and after then the score was announced and when it came to Wales’ score the French crowd got louder as the evening went on with them belting out “zero” as loud as they could. 

As we drew closer to the final whistle, my player ratings was coming together nicely and as Le Garrod kicked the ball dead it was met with an actual decibel reading of 90 plus as “Free to desire” was belted out. This was a fitting song as the French were on fire on Friday evening as they showed their class from start to finish. The same can be said for the French media team as after the final whistle I headed back to the media room got another coffee and headed to the auditorium for the post-match press conference which took me late into the Parisian night. 

After that I headed to the mixed zone media area where I was able to get Josh Adams and Tom Rogers both of which were obviously disappointed but it must be said Adams is brilliant with the media as he gave me plenty to transcribe. 

The next time I looked at my phone it read 00:57 as I left the stadium and headed back to my hotel where I quickly wrote up the talking points from Gatland’s press conference. I then headed for some sleep as I needed to be up early as I had a early morning flight back to Heathrow. 

It was a brilliant experience being in Paris for the game and it is something that will live me for the rest of my life, truly grateful and looking forward to doing it again very soon.

Cardiff RFC will look to return to winning ways against RGC. 

The Blue and Blacks will be looking to pick up their first win of the Super Rygbi Cymru Cup as they take on Rygbi Gogledd Cymru on Saturday (KO: 14:30). 

For Dan Fish’s men, it’s about returning to winning ways as Llandovery came from behind to win 40-33 at Church Bank. Tries from Edmund Anya, Nathan Hudd, Joe Williams and a brace from Jason Harries proved not to be enough. 

However, the visitors for Saturday’s encounter come into the match on the back of a home 54-42 win over Aberavon in Colwyn Bay and sit in pole position in Pool A.

Remember, this Cup competition has been introduced to take place during the Guinness Six Nations. There are going to be four rounds and a final. There will be two pools of five clubs, each playing two home and two away fixtures. The winners of each group will go head-to-head in the Cup Final.

Team News: 

1.Jared Williams

2. Charlie Manship

3. Christian Brooke

4. Ethan Phillips

5. Sean Moore (C)

6. Craig Hudd

7. Nathan Hudd

8. Evan Rees

9. Ethan Lloyd

10. Josh Thomas

11. Ollie Das

12. Fraser Jones

13. Osian-Darwin Lewis

14. Kodie Stone

15. Matty Young

Replacements:

16. Gavin Parry

17. Marc Thomas

18. Callum Donaghue-Proud

19. Benji Williams

20. Will Jameson

21. Lloyd Lucas

22. Ioan Penry

23. Fin Hart

Pre-Match Thoughts: 

“After an exciting game last week we return home to face RGC,” said head coach Dan Fish.

“We have focused on ourselves and what we did well and what we can improve on from last week and have had a good weeks training.

“Another opportunity for some boys in the squad which we are looking forward to see how they go, along side some of the current U18s boys who have trained well with us over the past couple of weeks. The mix we had last week worked well for us with the young boys expressing themselves and the older members of the squad doing what they do every time they put the jersey on wearing it with pride.

“We look forward to the game Saturday and hope for another free flowing game of rugby.”

Also speaking ahead of the fixture try scorer from last weekend, Edmund Anya said: “I’m enjoying it quite a lot. A very good group of lads, very skilled and committed to the game but also wholesome people to be around. So it’s a good environment to be playing my rugby. 

“It was a really good game. I think we all showed good effort on attack and put together some solid defensive sets. Seemed like we’d done enough, but Llandovery are a good team and managed to get back in the game.

“At the end they had momentum with them and were more clinical with their chances than we were. 

“It was a good chance for the younger players to show what they can offer. And they all stepped up when they needed to and hopefully get the chance to do it again this coming weekend. 

“We obviously know RGC are a good team and will be coming to compete. They can be quite aggressive defensively and will be very confident coming off their win against Aberavon, so we’ll have to put on a good display of rugby to come off with the favored result,” Anya added.

Remember the last meeting at the Arms Park?

The last time these two met in Cardiff was in the opening round of last season’s Indigo Premiership, where the Blue and Blacks won 35-17.

That day, scrum-half Joe Williams scored a second half hat-trick and that was accompanied by tighthead Freddie Barnes crossing the whitewash. Harrison James’ boot was crucial in the contest as he kept the visitors adrift, kicking several penalties. 

Those unable to make it to the Cardiff Arms Park on Saturday afternoon can stay up-to-date with updates via our social media channels (X, Facebook, Instagram). 

Wales will begin their 2025 Guinness Six Nations tomorrow evening in Paris as they take on France at the Stade de France (kick-off 20:15, live on ITV1).

Will Rowlands is one of six players who were named in the XV who started in the last meeting between the pair in the Championship. Gareth Thomas, Dafydd Jenkins, Tomos Williams, Owen Watkin and Josh Adam are the others. The Racing 92 player is one of only two players from the Top 14 side that has been picked, with scrum-half Nolann Le Garrec being the other named on the bench for Fabien Galthie’s French side. 

Warren Gatland’s men come into the encounter on the back of 12 successive Test match defeats, and the last time they recorded a win over Les Bleus was back at the 2019 World Cup in Japan. Also, since the former defence coach of Wales, Shaun Edwards joined the French coaching setup, Wales haven’t beaten them. So, can Wales begin the Six Nations on a high? 

“Absolutely, things can only improve, and we can base that on what we have seen in the last couple of weeks,” said the 33-year-old. 

“It’s been really positive here; everyone has performed well, trained well. It’s a great environment to push on as a team so I am just really excited to get stuck into the first measure of that and see how far we have come. 

“The Six Nations is about results, and I think that I still stand by there was a period of development where we didn’t see the results of that as we wanted in the Autumn. 

“Hopefully, there have been some lessons taken from that, and you know we will be judged ultimately by the results of the Six Nations. As a team, everyone is confident that we can put together some performances that will give a lot of confidence and inspiration going forward. 

“I’m one hundred per cent sure if we deliver on those performances, the results will follow, added Rowlands. 

A new introduction to the coaching setup for Wales is the appointment of performance specialist Andy McCann. He has previously been involved with the Welsh setup from 2009-2017, and he is renowned for his expertise in mental skills and player performance. 

“It’s early days with Andy but I’ve already found him to be a kind of interesting source of information,” said the 6ft 8 second row. 

“It’s the kind of information you wouldn’t have heard elsewhere and I’m mindful to get to him, speak to him, pick his brains as much as possible. He can be a useful resource for everyone.

“Atlantic rowers, armed forces, rescue services, surgeons, you name it he has seemed to work with a lot people dealing in high-pressure situations. 

“Strategies around the best way to calm yourself and hopefully give a best account of yourself in the moment that you are trying to perform in. A few of the workshops have been around that and I’m sure there is a few more to come.”

The last time Wales won a Test match was actually in France (Georgia, 43-19), but they come up against a French side who went three out of three in the Autumn and put aside New Zealand 20-19 in a thriller at the Stade de France.

On beginning the Six Nations in Paris, Rowlands said: “Very special one, I think everyone is looking forward to it. 

“Normally, there is an incredible atmosphere there, obviously kicking off the Six Nations, playing a great French team, so it’s very exciting. These are the moments why you play professional rugby.

“That’s a perfect place for us, go there with little expectation, but we are confident that we can put together a good performance and try and just enjoy ourselves, playing the rugby how we want to play and see what happens.

“We are obviously respectful of the quality of the French team; I just think the atmosphere everyone is looking forward to and generally the occasion is something that we are really excited to get stuck into.

“So the focus from our side is that you silence the crowd by trying to limit that and attack them when you have and haven’t got the ball,” Rowlands concluded. 

Richard Whiffin’s Wales U20s side will travel to the Stade de la Rabine in Vannes as they take on France Saturday evening.

You have to go back 12 years for the last time the U20s tasted victory in France. That came in Clermont Auvergne. That day saw the likes of Nicky Smith, Elliot Dee, Gareth Thomas and Rhodri Williams play and all four are involved in Friday nights clash in Paris for the senior side.

There are four players within the starting XV that will be making their debut for the U20s. Second row, Kenzie Jenkins joins Deian Gwynne and Evan Minto as the debutants in the pack.

Dragons RFC scrum-half, Logan Franklin will also make his debut and is joined by Harri Wilde to complete the halfback’s.

Leicester Tigers, Harry Beddall captains the side from the openside and Nick Thomas who has played a lot for the Gwent regional side in both the United Rugby Championship and Challenge Cup has also been named in the engine room.

Brothers Steffan and Ioan Emanuel also are named in the starting XV. Ioan made a big impression after scoring a number of tries for the U20s when they played the Welsh Academies recently.

Head coach, Richard Whiffin said: “It was a tough team to pick as a lot of guys have put their hands up over the past couple of weeks.

“Where we’ve come to is a team full of pace, speed and power and ultimately in skill and that is how we want to attack the game on Saturday. 

“We’ve got boys with experience who know how we want to play and can help the younger boys in terms of our game model. The younger guys come in with a fresh view and new ideas and have an opportunity to push our game forward.”

“It’s important defensively we get off the line and take their space away and bring our jackal game into it and from an attack point of view, being able to put our speed and pace into the game and being smart around our kicking game will be vital,” he added.

Wales U20s v France U20s, Sat 1st Feb, Stade de la Rabine, 8.10pm
15 Scot Delnevo (Aberavon)
14 Harry Rees-Weldon (Dragons) 
13 Elijah Evans (Cardiff Rugby) 
12 Steffan Emanuel (Cardiff Rugby) 
11 Aidan Boshoff (Bristol Bears) 
10 Harri Wilde (Cardiff Rugby)
9 Logan Franklin (Dragons)
1 Ioan Emanuel (Bath Rugby) 
2 Harry Thomas (Scarlets) 
3 Sam Scott (Bristol Bears)
4 Kenzie Jenkins (Bristol Bears)
5 Nick Thomas (Dragons) 
6 Deian Gwynne (Gloucester) 
7 Harry Beddall (Leicester Tigers) Capt 
8 Evan Minto (Dragons) 

Replacements
16 Saul Hurley (Aberavon) 
17 Louie Trevett (Bristol Bears)
18 Jac Pritchard (Scarlets) 
19 Tom Cottle (RGC) 
20 Dan Gemine (Ospreys) 
21 Carwyn Edwards (Cardiff Met)
22 Harri Ford (Dragons) 
23 Tom Bowen (Cardiff Rugby)

It’s no easy introduction to the Guinness Six Nations for Warren Gatland’s men as they travel to Paris on Friday evening, but with experienced players back in the fold, it has helped massively.

The likes of British and Irish Lions duo Liam Williams and Josh Adams, with the winger making his first appearance for the Welsh side since the 2024 Championship. Williams, who starts at fullback, has got 92 Caps, and with the pair together having more than 150 appearances on the international stage combined, it brings back very much-needed experience into the Welsh Squad.

Even with the centre partnership, Owen Watkin and Nick Tompkins get the nod, with both playing with one another on four occasions. The only caveat to this is that Watkins starts on the inside whereas Tompkins is on the outside this is the opposite of the four times they have played together. Maybe this is a move for Gatland moving forward to involve Joe Roberts at some point, who knows. 

Gatland sat down with the media ahead of his side jetting off Paris at the Vale Resort, here are the five main talking points from the pre-match press conference.

1- The experience of having Liam Williams and Josh Adams back

“That was a part of our thinking, in terms of bringing some experience back in,” said Gatland. 

“Trying to get a balance between those players, with what they’ve done in the past, having a voice and giving some confidence to those around them.” 

Focussing more on 33-year-old Williams who has returned to the UK recently after a period in Japan. He was recently involved for Wales in the summer tour of Australia and after not being able to play in last years Championship due to him playing for the Kuboto Spears, his return to Saracens allows the experienced fullback to play. 

“Liam probably knows what it was like when he was a young player. He wasn’t always the most confident speaking up in team meetings, but you develop that overtime. 

“You develop your leadership and confidence. It’s been pleasing to see some of those players take a real positive lead. Ben Thomas (starts at 10 on Friday) has been excellent. Jac Morgan, Josh Adams and Liam have been really good in giving clear messages. 

“Nick Tompkins and Owen Watkin as well, there’s a real positive buzz around the squad at the moment,” added Gatland. 

2- Not the welcome return supporters were expecting in the back row

Taulupe Faletau who has over 100 international caps for Wales misses out as Dragons RFC, Aaron Wainwright gets the nod for the eight jersey. Accompanying him will be James Botham and Welsh captain, Jac Morgan. 

“He’s not quite ready”, admitted Gatland on the fitness of Faletau.

“He made the call on Tuesday to say he’s not quite ready for selection. He’s still part of the squad and he’ll still come with us. He didn’t feel he’d be 100 per cent for Friday so he wanted some more time for Italy. 

“We’re hoping that he’ll be right for Italy.” 

3- “We still want to see Ben as a ten option”- Gatland on moving Thomas to fly-half

With many making the argument of Ben Thomas starting in the 10 jersey when Cardiff Rugby played Connacht in the Challenge Cup as an audition for that starting position spot, that potentially proved right. The 26-year-old has been given the opportunity ahead of uncapped Dan Edwards who potentially can make his debut off the bench.

“We still want to see Ben as a ten option, we spoke to him about that. 

“He was comfortable about wanting to take on that responsibility. He’s had a bit of time there with his last game for Cardiff. I thought he went pretty well there. 

“He’s comfortable defending there, having defended at twelve. He’s able to handle traffic coming down his channel. 

“For Dan, we see him as an exciting player for the future.

“We wanted him to come in during the Autumn and have that experience. Unfortunately, he had a groin issue and a head knock, so he wasn’t able to do that. He’s been playing some good rugby, he’s calm.

“I’ve spoken to a number of the Ospreys players, who have spoken really positively about his growth and leadership within the Ospreys environment. We’re just giving him a bit of time,” said Gatland. 

4- The appointment of Andy McCann

Performance specialist, McCann who previously worked with the Wales senior squad from 2009-2017, made his return to the Welsh set-up in an advisory role. He is a specialist in psychology and human performance and is renowned for expertise in mental skills and player performances. His role will support the squad in improving their mindset. 

On this new but late appointment, Gatland said: “I think the positive about Andy is when he’s presenting to the group, he’s talking about the realities of professional sport, real life and he talks about resilience in terms of mental toughness. 

“He brings a wealth of experience and it’s just someone who has that experience not just in rugby but also in other sports. He’s been working with Atlantic rowers in terms of breaking records with the military as well. So, he’s got a wealth of knowledge in terms of not just involved with rugby but being involved in other disciplines as well.

5- Is it a big call starting Cardiff Rugby’s Evan Lloyd?

Despite not being first choice hooker for the Blue and Blacks at club level, 23-year-old Lloyd will make his first start for Wales in Paris. The hooker came off the bench on five occasions last year and played in all of Wales’ summer tour matches against South Africa and Australia. 

“I just think he’s definitely a player for the future,” said Gatland. 

“I know he hasn’t had a lot of starts and Elliot Dee hasn’t had a lot of starts. I didn’t really consider Sam (Parry) for this week. He had some tight hamstring issues last week and didn’t take a lot of part in training.

“He’s (Evan) a big man, we know how good he is around the field. Yes, he’s got some learning to do from his set piece stuff. I think the thing for Evan is that he’s going to have a lot of nerves and a lot of stuff, it’s just us trying to get around him and show him that we have the confidence and belief in him. 

“For him going out there knowing that there’s people in Wales hoping that he’s going to do well. It’s going to be a big challenge for him, we talked about negativity, and I don’t want that negativity to get to him where people are saying that he shouldn’t be selected or he’s not good to enough to be there. 

“Like I said, I think he is an outstanding rugby player”, Gatland concluded.