Uncapped Watkins and Sweeney in Wales squad

WELSH coach Steve Hansen has named two uncapped players in his squad for the RBS Six Nations Championship.

Llanelli centre Matthew Watkins and Pontypridd outhalf Ceri Sweeney have both been rewarded for consistent club form this season.

There is also a recall for Watkins' midfield colleague at Llanelli, Scarlets' skipper Leigh Davies who features in a national squad under Hansen for the first time.

Swansea centre Mark Taylor returns to the fray following injury problems during the autumn which meant he could not play against Wales' November opponents New Zealand, Fiji and Canada.

Hansen, though, still has injury problems, with seven players currently unavailable to him.

The injured contingent includes three hookers Barry Williams (broken jaw), Robin McBryde (foot) and Andrew Lewis (back) while Dafydd James, Neil Jenkins, Andy Marinos and Sonny Parker are also unavailable.

Pontypridd's Mefin Davies was the only hooker named in the 31-man squad.

A second hooker will be selected in the next few days, with the candidates being Bath's Jon Humphreys, Bridgend's Gareth Williams, Matthew Rees of Pontypridd and Neath prop Duncan Jones, whose hooking potential is currently being assessed.

France coach Bernard Laporte had only three words to tell his Six Nations squad when they assembled in Paris yesterday: "Defence, defence, defence."

"We'll be going through our defence drills all day. I told them we won't get much ball at Twickenham so they should get used to tackling."

France were without stand-off Francois Gelez, who dislocated a shoulder for his club Agen on Sunday, captain and scrumhalf Fabien Galthie, who injured a knee playing for his club Stade Francais and towering No 8 Imanol Harinordoquoy who had gone down with gastroenteritis.

Meanwhile, former England skipper Lawrence Dallaglio said the shoulder injury that kept him out of the England squad session in London would not rule him out of the February 15 clash with the Six Nations Grand Slam champions at Twickenham.

"It's superficial," the Wasps player said. "But I don't want to risk it because having worked to get into the frame, I want to be fit."