Wales v France - Preview

Winger Alex Cuthbert replaces Tom James in one of three Wales changes to the starting XV.

The other changes come in the pack, as flanker Dan Lydiate replaces Justin Tipuric and Bradley Davies stands in for injured lock Luke Charteris.

Winger Djibril Camara makes his debut in one of five changes for France.

Scrum-half Maxime Machenaud, flanker Antoine Burban, lock Paul Jedrasiak and prop Rabah Slimani are the other four fresh faces for Les Bleus.

Warren Gatland

"Everyone talks about French flair and where has the French flair gone? In the past, they had absolute world-class quality players in attack.

"The reason is not so much French flair any more - it's not because they haven't got the players - it's just teams defensively are so organised. There is just no space on the field.

"You get breaks in the game. They are made by someone missing a tackle or someone making a system error - that's where the breaks are. At this level, not many players make mistakes any more and not many players miss tackles.

"Where's the flair gone? Well, we are all trying to be innovative and hopefully trying to create space, but the more you try to be creative in attack, the better teams become defensively as well."

Head-to-head

Wales have won their last four Tests against France. This is their best run since they won six in succession between 1952-1957.

France's last win over Wales came in the World Cup semi-final in 2011. They won 9-8 as Wales had Sam Warburton sent off.

Brice Dulin's try in last year's encounter was the first France had scored against Wales since their 28-9 win in the Six Nations in 2011.

Wales

Wales are unbeaten in their last six Six Nations games (W5 D1), their best run since winning eight in a row between 2007-09.

France have won three Six Nations matches in a single tournament once in the last four years (2014).

They have lost on their last four trips to the Principality Stadium - this includes two games in the 2015 World Cup against Ireland and New Zealand.

France have had the most carries (224) and made the most metres (795) in the 2016 tournament.

Wales

Liam Williams, Alex Cuthbert, Jonathan Davies, Jamie Roberts, George North, Dan Biggar, Gareth Davies; Rob Evans, Scott Baldwin, Samson Lee, Bradley Davies, Alun Wyn Jones, Dan Lydiate, Sam Warburton (capt), Taulupe Faletau.

Replacements: Ken Owens, Gethin Jenkins, Tomas Francis, Jake Ball, Justin Tipuric, Lloyd Williams, Rhys Priestland, Gareth Anscombe.

France

Maxime Medard, Vrimi Vakatawa, Maxime Mermoz, Jonathan Danty, Djbril Camara, Jules Plisson, Maxime Machenaud; Jefferson Poirot, Guilhem Guirado (capt), Rabah Slimani, Paul Jedrasiak, Alexandre Flanquart, Wencelsas Lauret, Antoine Burban, Damien Chouly.

Replacements: Camille Chat, Uini Atonio, Vincent Pelo, Yoann Maestri, Loann Goujon, Sebastien Bezy, Francois Trinh-Duc, Gael Fickou.

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Wayne Barnes (RFU)

Touch judges: JP Doyle (RFU) & Luke Pearce (RFU)

TMO: Shaun Veldsman (SARU)

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South Africa v Wales - Preview

Wales must record consecutive wins over South Africa for the first time if they are to reach the World Cup semi-finals.

Warren Gatland's side face the Springboks on Saturday at Twickenham with just two wins from 30 previous meetings between the countries.

Heyneke Meyer's team lost to Wales last year but will hope their resurgence since the defeat to Japan continues.

Dan Lydiate, Tyler Morgan and Gethin Jenkins return to the Wales side while JP Pietersen is back for South Africa.

Wales have a poor record overall against the southern hemisphere sides, with last Saturday's 15-6 loss to Australia their 11th consecutive defeat against the Wallabies while they have not beaten New Zealand since 1953.

Wales relishing knock-out phase

Coach Gatland is not concerned by Wales' poor record against the 'Big Three' and expects his side to revel in the knock-out atmosphere of the World Cup.

Gatland's side are seeking to set up a last-four tie with either New Zealand or France.

"I think if you get to this stage you have to back yourself, don't you?" he said.

Gatland's views were echoed by his captain Sam Warburton, who is viewing the game as an opportunity to inflict a significant defeat on one of the southern hemisphere giants.

"Players never talk about history or psychological battles. I think that's irrelevant," said the 2013 Lions captain.

"It doesn't matter who you are playing or what record you've got, there's always a chance of winning, otherwise no one would watch.

"It's a target of mine to have a World Cup when we beat a southern hemisphere team when it matters. That's quite important to me."

Tough route has helped Springboks

Springboks coach Meyer admits his side have had a harder route to the quarter-finals than they had hoped for following the opening-game defeat against Japan.

"It's been tough, look at my grey hair," he said.

"It's hard when you have to win every single game, but it has helped us.

"You always have to look at your opponents and respect them. They have also been under huge pressure in their pool, so it's probably the same for both teams.

"But we've got all the players back that we wanted right from the start and they are hitting form. We're playing knock-out rugby and hopefully we can take that further."

Team news

Wales blind-side flanker Dan Lydiate returns with a plate inserted to repair the eye socket injury which kept him out of the 15-6 defeat against Australia.

The other two changes from that side see 20-year-old Tyler Morgan come in at centre with George North returning to the wing in place of the injured Liam Williams.

Loose-head prop Gethin Jenkins takes over from Paul James in the front row while lock Alun Wyn Jones makes his 100th Test match appearance - 94 for Wales to add to six Lions Tests.

After the shock 34-32 defeat to Japan in their opening pool game, Springboks coach Meyer has fielded a relatively settled line-up.

The return of wing JP Pietersen is the only change from the starting XV that beat USA 64-0 in their final pool game.

Victor Matfield's continuing injury problems mean another run-out for the youthful second-row pairing of Lood de Jager and Eben Etzebeth.

Key players

Alun Wyn Jonescis making his 100th Test match appearance and has been described by Gatland as "immense for us".

"He's such a competitor and wants to win desperately. He understands and believes he can compete with the best in the world and he's had an unbelievable World Cup."

Fourie du Preez the scrum-half and captain doubted his ability to take part in the tournament after a series of injuries, but Meyer was determined to persuade him to travel.

"I was on my knees and asked him just to train with the side," said the Springboks coach.

"If you have him in your side and he clicks, he is as valuable as Richie McCaw is to the All Blacks."

South Africa's team boasts five players who have played in and won a World Cup final. Bryan Habana, Schalk Burger, Fourie du Preez and JP Pietersen all started in the 15-6 win over England in the 2007 final. Bismarck du Plessis came on for five minutes as a blood replacement in the second half while his brother Jannie was on the bench but did not play.

Wales have only ever beaten the Springboks twice - in 1999 and the last meeting between the teams in November 2014. There was a 6-6 draw in 1970 and Wales suffered their heaviest international defeat against them - the 96-13 mauling in Pretoria in June 1998.

Wing Habana is on the brink of two try-scoring landmarks. He needs one to become the leading try scorer on his own in the World Cup - he is currently tied on 15 with New Zealand's Jonah Lomu. A try against Wales would also take him past David Campese in Test rugby's all-time try-scoring list. They both have 64 tries - five behind Japan's record-holder Daisuke Ohata.

Wales: Gareth Anscombe; Alex Cuthbert, Tyler Morgan, Jamie Roberts, George North; Dan Biggar, Gareth Davies; Gethin Jenkins, Scott Baldwin, Samson Lee; Luke Charteris, Alun Wyn Jones; Dan Lydiate, Sam Warburton (capt), Taulupe Faletau.

Replacements: Ken Owens, Paul James, Tomas Francis, Bradley Davies, Justin Tipuric, Lloyd Williams, Rhys Priestland, James Hook.

South Africa: Willie le Roux; JP Pietersen, Jesse Kriel, Damien de Allende, Bryan Habana; Handre Pollard, Fourie du Preez (capt); Tendai Mtawarira, Bismarck du Plessis, Frans Malherbe; Lodewyk de Jager, Eben Etzebeth; Schalk Burger, Duane Vermeulen, Francois Louw.

Replacements: Adriaan Strauss, Trevor Nyakane, Jannie du Plessis, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Willem Alberts, Ruan Pienaar, Pat Lambie, Jan Serfontein.

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Playing Days Over - Shane Williams

Former Wales wing Shane Williams says his playing days are over after rejecting an offer from Merthyr RFC.

The Welsh Championship club have signed Wales forward Andy Powell, but failed to recruit former British and Irish Lions star Williams.

Wales' record try-scorer hopes to combine his television punditry with a coaching career in the future.

"I miss playing rugby but those days are gone. Merthyr was a little step too far," Williams told BBC Wales Sport.

"I was approached by [coach] Lee Jarvis and [benefactor] Sir Stanley Thomas to see whether I would like to be involved in a coaching capacity as well as a playing capacity.

"It was very tempting and it's a good club that's looking to progress but, for the time being, I'm very busy with family commitments.

"I do want to be a coach. Is it next week? No it's not. Maybe in the near future you'll see me coaching but, for the moment, I think I've got enough on my plate."

The former Ospreys wing would have been the highest-profile signing so far for Merthyr, who also attempted but failed to recruit Wales hooker Matthew Rees.

"He [Williams] was too committed with his television work," Merthyr's benefactor Thomas said.

"He really wanted to come here, as did Matthew Rees, who I think has made a big mistake by not joining us because ours was a three-year contract and he's got a one-year deal with Cardiff Blues.

"Shane would have been the capture... we've been talking now for two weeks, an excellent offer was on the table for him. However, he's just too committed."

Williams played in four Tests for the Lions, scoring two tries, and played for clubs including Amman United RFC, Neath, Ospreys and Mitsubishi Dynaboars in Japan.

He returned home earlier this year after three years in Japanese rugby, and said his focus would be on coaching, as well as punditry.

Multi-millionaire Thomas, the brother of Cardiff Blues chairman Peter, has invested in Merthyr to help the club strengthen on and off the field in order to gain admission to the Premiership.

The semi-pro Premiership will be expanded from 12 to 16 clubs from 2016-17, with the top four Championship sides with an A licence going up at the end of next season.

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Williams Apologises to Wales Team

Getty Images

Liam Williams has apologised to his team-mates following Wales' 31-30 defeat by South Africa in the second Test, says head coach Warren Gatland.

Wales were leading 30-24 when referee Steve Walsh awarded a penalty try after Williams shoulder-charged Cornal Hendricks into touch just short of the try line.

Morne Steyn converted to deny Wales their first Test win in South Africa.

"He's devastated about that and apologised to the boys," Gatland said.

"At this highest level, you just do not get away with anything and you've got to be squeaky clean.

"There were a few indiscretions that were costly to us and I think he'll learn from that experience and hopefully he doesn't do it again."

Gatland said he had no problem with Walsh's decision to award the late penalty try - South Africa's second of the game.

"We've made an error defensively, which is disappointing," Gatland added.

"Hendricks has got outside George [North] and unfortunately Liam's come in and led with his shoulder.

"I don't have an issue with the decision."

Tries from Jamie Roberts and Alex Cuthbert had put Wales in control in what was a dominant opening 25 minutes.

But with Luke Charteris and Dan Biggar sin-binned, South Africa got back into the game through a penalty try and a Cornal Hendricks effort.

Ken Owens' try extended the lead early in the second half, but Willie Le Roux's try and a converted penalty try gave the Boks victory.

"We were playing really well at 17-0 up and we've gone from a good position [and] quadrupled our errors," Gatland said.

"We've gone from a penalty to another penalty to a yellow card to another yellow card and again at this level, with top-quality referees, you don't get away with that.

"Those are big moments in the game where you're under a bit of control and we said to our players it's about game management."

New Zealander Gatland described the second Test defeat as one of the worst experiences of his coaching career as Wales failed to record what would have been only their second victory over South Africa.

"I'm pretty gutted about it. I'm proud of the performance, the turnaround and how the guys fronted up," Gatland said.

"It just shows you at this level it's about playing for the whole 80 minutes and being accurate when you do come under some pressure.

"I think it was a game that was there for us to win, but the best teams in the world never give up."

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