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Three Dragons In Wales Team

Michael Owen, Ian Gough and Hal Luscombe all keep their places in the starting XV for Wales' final RBS Six Nations game against France on Saturday.

Kath McCarthy | 16/03/2006

Michael Owen, Ian Gough and Hal Luscombe all keep their places in the starting XV for Wales' final RBS Six Nations game against France on Saturday.

All three have played a full part in the Welsh Six Nations campaign with Michael Owen taking over the captaincy for the last three matches. Owen moves to blindside flanker for this game with Alix Popham coming in at No.8.

Dwayne Peel (shoulder) and Mark Jones (knee) have both been ruled out for the final game with Michael Phillips and Dafydd James replacing them respectively.

Looking ahead to the game coach Scott Johnson commented, "Nothing has changed in our approach, we need to go out there and do what we do best, better than we have been doing it. We have one of the best teams in world rugby coming to our shores. They have some great players and we have a huge regard for French rugby and their style of play. They will be formidable opponents and with the Championship at stake they will be making sure they go home with a victory. Our job is to make that task as hard as possible for them and nothing would give us greater pleasure than to be able to say we beat them and had a positive influence on the outcome of the tournament."

Johnson has endeavoured to maintain a consistent approach to selection as he names just his third team since taking over as head coach, but he admits the selection of Popham over Charvis was not forced upon him. "Colin Charvis is an experienced player who offers a lot to this squad and we want to make sure we keep him around us this week, on Saturday and beyond," said Johnson. "But he has played a lot of rugby this season, the best part of 20 odd games already, missing just one match for Newcastle in the Premiership and featuring for us at international level throughout the campaign so far and in the Autumn. We are resting him, but he will remain part of the squad and we want him around to help lift the players. Alix deserves his chance to start and we have gone for Dafydd (Jones) on the bench for the energy and impact he will be able to offer. Andy Williams must be congratulated and he has been rewarded for his perseverance and professionalism. He has been around the squad for a while, doing much of the hard work as maybe third or fourth choice and he is finally getting his chance."

 Wales Team
15. Lee Byrne
14. Dafydd James
13. Hal Luscombe
12. Matthew Watkins
11. Shane Williams
10. Stephen Jones
9. Michael Phillips
1. Duncan Jones
2. Rhys Thomas
3. Adam Jones
4. Ian Gough
5. Robert Sidoli
6. Michael Owen (C)
7. Martyn Williams
8. Alix Popham

Replacements
16. Mefin Davies
17. Gethin Jenkins
18. Jonathan Thomas
19. Dafydd Jones
20. Andy Williams
21. Nicky Robinson
22. Gavin Henson

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