In the front row, props Evan Lloyd and Henry Thomas will make their first starts for Wales in the cauldron of the Stade de France.
On the wing, Tom Rogers will earn his sixth cap after last featuring for Wales in their 2023 World Cup warm-up games.
Ben Thomas starts at fly-half, while in-form Ospreys number ten Dan Edwards could make his Test debut from the bench. Wales will seek to benefit from the experience of Liam Williams from fullback, the 33-year-old being in line for his 93rd Wales cap.
There is also an eagerly-awaited return from injury for second row Dafydd Jenkins (pictured above), who in 2024 became his country's second-youngest captain of all time (having already set the English Premiership record in the same category when leading Exeter Chiefs at just 19 years old).
Jenkins's introduction to the captaincy is one of the storylines in the new series of Six Nations: Full Contact, which dropped on Netflix today.
France have won each of their last six Test matches against Wales, although the visitors have won five of their 12 matches away to Les Bleus in the Guinness Men’s Six Nations, which is more than any other side.
Wales team to face France:
15 Liam Williams (Saracens)
14 Tom Rogers (Scarlets)
13 Nick Tompkins (Saracens)
12 Owen Watkin (Ospreys)
11 Josh Adams (Cardiff)
10 Ben Thomas (Cardiff)
9 Tomos Williams (Gloucester)
1 Gareth Thomas (Ospreys)
2 Evan Lloyd (Cardiff)
3 Henry Thomas (Scarlets)
4 Will Rowlands (Racing 92)
5 Dafydd Jenkins (Exeter)
6 James Botham (Cardiff)
7 Jac Morgan (captain) (Ospreys)
8 Aaron Wainwright (Dragons)
Replacements
16 Elliot Dee (Dragons)
17 Nicky Smith (Leicester)
18 Keiron Assiratti (Cardiff)
19 Freddie Thomas (Gloucester)
20 Tommy Reffell (Leicester)
21 Rhodri Williams (Dragons)
22 Dan Edwards (Ospreys)
23 Blair Murray (Scarlets)