Following his outstanding performance against Ulster last weekend, Dragons Lock Luke Charteris has been selected in Warren Gatland's squad for the RBS 6 Nations visit of France to the Cardiff ground this Friday night (8.00pm).
Wales have made five changes, one positional, to the starting line-up who defeated Scotland at the Millennium Stadium nine days ago.
Blues scrum half Richie Rees replaces his regional rival Gareth Cooper for his first international start in an otherwise unchanged back line and up front hooker Huw Bennett makes it an all-Ospreys front row in replacing the injured Gareth Williams (knee).
It's all change in the second row with Bradley Davies teaming up with his Blues partner Deiniol Jones to replace Ospreys pair Alun Wyn Jones and Jonathan Thomas. Thomas moves to the back row to fill the berth vacated by the suspended Blues flanker Andy Powell, whilst his colleague Jones has been ruled out after surgery on his elbow.
On the bench the Wales coaches have made a late call on the fitness of British & Irish Lions and Ospreys scrum half Mike Phillips, who returned to feature for 40 minutes for his region yesterday (Sunday) after a long lay-off with an ankle problem. He joins the National Centre of Excellence training camp today - meaning Cooper leaves the 34-man squad and returns to Blues duty with the Sale Sharks scrum half Dwayne Peel also welcomed at the Vale Resort HQ today.
Ospreys centre Andrew Bishop and 65-times capped Blues utility back Tom Shanklin join Phillips to cover the back line.
WALES: Lee Byrne; Leigh Halfpenny, James Hook, Jamie Roberts, Shane Williams; Stephen Jones, Richard Rees; Paul James, Huw Bennett, Adam Jones, Bradley Davies, Deiniol Jones, Jonathan Thomas, Martyn Williams, Ryan Jones (Captain) REPLACEMENTS: Ken Owens, Rhys Gill, Luke Charteris, Sam Warburton, Mike Phillips, Andrew Bishop, Tom Shanklin
