Six Nations
Injury rules out Warburton
2013-02-07 14:48
Paris - Wales captain Sam Warburton has been
ruled out of the Six Nations international away to France on Saturday
with a 'stinger' injury, it was announced Thursday.
Openside
flank Warburton suffered the blow, which normally affects the
shoulder, in last week's 30-22 first-round defeat by Ireland in Cardiff
that dented Grand Slam champions Wales' hopes of a successful title
defence.
Ryan Jones was named as captain in a team announced by Wales interim head coach Rob Howley on Thursday.
Former
full-time skipper Jones, set to lead Wales for a record 30th time at
Paris's Stade de France, came in at blindside flanker in place of Aaron
Shingler, with openside Justin Tipuric filling in for Warburton on the
other side of the back-row.
The only other change to the starting XV saw Ospreys hooker Richard Hibbard, fit again following injury, replace Matthew Rees.
In
the backs, centre Jamie Roberts is poised to win his 50th cap, while
Shingler has taken Tipuric's bench place with Lou Reed joining him among
the replacements instead of Olly Kohn.
"We didn't start the
tournament the way we wanted to on the weekend but Saturday is a chance
for us to go out and show what we can do," Howley said on Thursday after
naming his team.
"We know that we will have to start well and
start the way we finished the game against Ireland," the former Wales
and British and Irish Lions scrum-half added.
"It's disappointing to have Sam ruled out but Ryan comes in as captain with a wealth of experience.
"Playing
France in Paris is always a huge match but we have worked hard as a
squad this week and want to deliver a performance we know we are capable
of."
Wales - who have enjoyed just three away wins against
France since 1975 - are currently on an eight-match losing streak and
have not beaten another Test-playing nation for nearly a year.
Pre-tournament
favourites France will also be looking to return to winning ways after a
shock 23-18 loss to Italy in Rome on Sunday.
They too will be without their captain last week after lock Pascal Pape was ruled out through injury.
Toulouse
flanker Thierry Dusautoir, losing finalists France's skipper at the
2011 World Cup, has been restored to the captaincy with Toulon's
Jocelino Suta taking Pape's place in the second row.
Meanwhile
Suta's club-mate Mathieu Bastareaud has been given a start in the
centres by France coach Philippe Saint-Andre in place of Florian Fritz.
Teams:France:
15 Yoann Huget,
14 Wesley Fofana, 13 Mathieu Bastareaud, 12 Maxime Mermoz, 11 Benjamin
Fall, 10 Frederic Michalak, 9 Maxime Machenaud, 8 Louis Picamoles, 7
Thierry Dusautoir (captain), 6 Fulgence Ouedraogo, 5 Yoann Maestri, 4
Jocelino Suta, 3 Nicolas Mas, 2 Dimitri Szarzewski, 1 Yannick Forestier
Substitutes: 16 Benjamin Kayser, 17 Vincent Debaty, 18 Luc Ducalcon, 19
Romain Taofifenua, 20 Damien Chouly, 21 Morgan Parra, 22 Francois
Trinh-Duc, 23 Florian Fritz
Wales:
15 Leigh Halfpenny, 14 Alex Cuthbert, 13 Jonathan Davies, 12 Jamie
Roberts, 11 George North, 10 Dan Biggar, 9 Mike Phillips, 8 Toby
Faletau, 7 Justin Tipuric, 6 Ryan Jones (captain), 5 Ian Evans, 4 Andrew
Coombs, 3 Adam Jones, 2 Richard Hibbard, 1 Gethin Jenkins
Substitutes: 16 Ken Owens, 17 Paul James, 18 Craig Mitchell, 19 Lou
Reed, 20 Aaron Shingler, 21 Lloyd Williams, 22 James Hook, 23-Scott
Williams