Fabien Galthié has resisted the temptation to make major changes by naming the same France starting XV to take on Wales in Paris this weekend.
Les Bleus suffered their first defeat of the 2021 Guinness Six Nations as England ended their Grand Slam hopes in Round 4 with a 23-20 victory in a pulsating contest at Twickenham.
Despite that defeat, their title chances will still be alive and kicking if they can beat Wales – who are going for a clean sweep of their own – and meet some other conditions, as we laid out in our permutations piece here.
And Galthié has trusted his players to deliver a response by asking the same XV to play from the start at the Stade de France, meaning Matthieu Jalibert continues at No.10.
He links up with reigning Guinness Six Nations Player of the Championship Antoine Dupont in the half-backs once more, with Gaël Fickou and Virimi Vakatawa outside them as Damian Penaud, Teddy Thomas and Brice Dulin form a game-breaking back three.
Toulouse teammates Cyril Baille and Julien Marchand again join Montpellier’s Mohamed Haouas in the front row, Romain Taofifenua and Paul Willemse are an imposing second row and the trio of Dylan Cretin, skipper Charles Ollivon and Grégory Alldritt make up a back row as good as any in the Guinness Six Nations.
There are three changes on the bench as Galthié switches from a 6-2 to 5-3 split between forwards and backs, with prop Uini Atonio, lock Swan Rebbadj and centre Arthur Vincent being added to the replacements.
Romain Ntamack was an unused replacement on his return from injury a week ago but is once again available as an alternative option at No.10 should Galthié decide to call upon him.
France team to face Wales in Round 5 of the 2021 Guinness Six Nations:
15. Brice Dulin (Stade Rochelais) 14. Teddy Thomas (Racing 92) 13. Virimi Vakatawa (Racing 92) 12. Gaël Fickou (Stade Français) 11. Damian Penaud (ASM Clermont) 10. Matthieu Jalibert (Union Bordeaux-Bègles) 9. Antoine Dupont (Stade Toulousain)
1. Cyril Baille (Stade Toulousain) 2. Julien Marchand (Stade Toulousain) 3. Mohamed Haouas (Montpellier) 4. Romain Taofifenua (RC Toulon) 5. Paul Willemse (Montpellier) 6. Dylan Cretin (Lyon OU) 7. Charles Ollivon (RC Toulon) – captain 8. Grégory Alldritt (Stade Rochelais)
Replacements
16. Camille Chat (Racing 92) 17. Jean-Baptiste Gros (RC Toulon) 18. Uini Atonio (Stade Rochelais) 19. Swan Rebbadj (RC Toulon) 20. Anthony Jelonch (Castres Olympique) 21. Baptiste Serin (RC Toulon) 22. Romain Ntamack (Stade Toulousain) 23. Arthur Vincent (Montpellier)
