Les Bleues made it three wins from three with a 38-15 win over Italy last weekend and sit a point behind reigning champions England going into the weekend.
Wales, by contrast, are on the lookout for their first victory of the 2024 Championship having been beaten 36-5 by Ireland in Cork on their most recent outing.
Both sides have rung the changes for this one and Ioan Cunningham, in particular, will be eager to see a response from his side as they seek a first win over France since a 10-8 success in Neath eight years ago.
TEAM NEWS
Cunningham has made five changes to the side beaten at Musgrave Park, including bringing in Catherine Matthews for her debut on the wing.
Full-back Kayleigh Powell will make her first start since the 2022 World Cup and an all-new back three is completed by Courtney Keight.
Carys Cox moves to inside centre, while Sian Jones comes in for Keira Bevan at scrum-haf and Natalia John starts in the second row.
Teani and Manaé Feleu will begin a France match together for the first time, with Teani brought in to start at No.8 and join her elder sister in the pack.
France make three other changes to the side which beat Italy. Chloé Jacquet comes in at outside centre, while Anne-Cécile Ciofani and Joanna Grisez start on the wings.
WHAT THEY SAID
Wales head coach Ioan Cunningham said: “France are one of the best teams in the world, they are real force in the world game and are a major challenge for us and they are favourites for this Test match.
“We have all taken a long hard look at ourselves this week and have stripped our game back and focused on what we have to do. We have drawn a line in the sand, and we need a performance at Cardiff Arms Park.
“Playing in front of our own supporters provides us with an opportunity to show who we are, and we have nothing to lose. We are a good rugby team and we have selected a squad to meet the challenge ahead of us.”
France forward Madoussou Fall said: “I played against Wales in Cardiff two years ago, and it is a really memorable match.
“The supporters are really close to you, and they try to play with the ball as much as they can which the supporters like.
“They aren’t regressing. They have improved over the last few years, and they just need to correct one or two things. We will have to improve our levels from last week and focus on what we are doing, not what our opponents are doing.”
KEY BATTLE – Battle of the back rows
Nobody has made more tackles in the 2024 Guinness Women’s Six Nations than the tenacious Alex Callender.
Her tally of 56 puts her nine clear of her nearest challenger, Scotland’s Alex Stewart, and she will have to be at her defensive best again in the Welsh capital on Saturday.
Lining up against her in the French back row is Romane Ménager, one of the players of the Championship so far.
The flanker finds herself in the top five for carries (36) and metres gained (198.8m) while she is joined in the back row on this occasion by Teani Feleu, who makes her first start.
STAT ATTACK
France have won 14 of their last 15 Guinness Women’s Six Nations matches against Wales, including the last seven by margins of 20+ points, however all three of France’s previous Championship losses against Wales have come away from home.
Wales have lost their first three matches of this year’s Guinness Women’s Six Nations but have not lost their opening four matches of a campaign since 2020.
France have made the most kicks in play of any side in this year’s Guinness Women’s Six Nations (73), while Wales have made the fewest (52). France have also retained possession from a greater share of their kicks than any other nation (11%).
Wales have committed 2+ opposition tacklers from a greater share of their carries than any other team in the Guinness Women’s Six Nations (65%), while only England (69%) have crossed the gainline from a higher percentage of their carries than France (67%) in this year’s Championship.
FANTASY WATCH
Callender’s performances have not gone unnoticed and her price now stands at 18.5 stars – though as she also ranks third for carries (38) and defensive rucks hit (27), there is a strong argument the investment is worth it.
Anyone backing debutant Catherine Richards to make an instant impact can pick up a bargain, with the versatile Gloucester-Hartpury back – listed as a centre in-game – priced at just 7.7 stars.
France prop Assia Khalfaoui has made more offloads (7) than any other player to date and would be a worthwhile addition to any Fantasy Rugby team’s front row at 14.1 stars.
Lina Queyroi (12.7 stars) is also a value pick for the No.10 jersey – only Ellie Kildunne (30) has scored more than the fly-half’s 24 points so far.
TEAMS
Wales: 15 Kayleigh Powell, 14 Catherine Richards, 13 Hannah Jones (captain), 12 Carys Cox, 11 Courtney Keight, 10 Lleucu George, 9 Sian Jones; 1 Gwenllian Pyrs, 2 Carys Phillips, 3 Sisilia Tuipulotu, 4 Natalia John, 5 Abbie Fleming, 6 Alisha Butchers, 7 Alex Callender (vice-captain), 8 Georgia Evans.
Replacements: 16 Molly Reardon, 17 Abbey Constable, 18 Donna Rose, 19 Kate Williams, 20 Gwennan Hopkins, 21 Keira Bevan, 22 Mollie Wilkinson, 23 Jasmine Joyce.
France: 15 Émilie Boulard, 14 Joanna Grisez, 13 Chloé Jacquet, 12 Gabrielle Vernier, 11 Anne-Cécile Ciofani, 10 Lina Queyroi, 9 Pauline Bourdon Sansus; 1 Annaëlle Deshaye, 2 Agathe Sochat, 3 Assia Khalfaoui, 4 Manaé Feleu, 5 Charlotte Escudero, 6 Romane Ménager, 7 Emeline Gros, 8 Teani Feleu
