Slam-chasing Wales opt for experience

Unbeaten Wales will tap in to a wealth of Grand Slam experience when they go for Guinness Six Nations title glory tomorrow.

A sixth Six Nations crown and fifth Grand Slam will be secured if they beat solitary title rivals France in Paris.

And 14 of their starting line-up at Stade de France wing Louis Rees-zammit is the exception - tasted Grand Slam success under head coach Wayne Pivac's predecessor Warren Gatland.

"We are very lucky that in our changing room we are going to have 14 of the starting 15 having won a Grand Slam before," said Pivac.

"There are plenty on the replacements' bench and in the management that have also done it before.

"There is a lot of experience to call on in these situations, which is a good place to be.

"When you've got 14 of your starting side that have won a Grand Slam before, you want that experience and those conversations to come out. It gives confidence across the whole group.”

Pivac has made one change to a starting XV that contains 987 caps, with lock Adam Beard, pictured, returning instead of Cory Hill following a 48-7 victory over Italy in Rome last Saturday.

Four switches on the bench, meanwhile, see roles for Hill, prop Nicky Smith, flanker James Botham and scrum-half Tomos Williams, who has recovered from a hamstring injury, among his eight substitutes.

France have named an unchanged side from their 23-20 defeat by England at Twickenham last weekend.

Flanker Charles Ollivon captains the side with star scrum-half Antoine Dupont and Matthieu Jalibert forming the halfback partnership.

Fabien Galthie has made three changes to the bench with New Zealand-born prop Uini Atonio and lock forward Swan Rebbadj replacing injured pair Cyril Cazeaux and Dorian Aldegheri. Arthur Vincent returns among the replacements.