Williams get Wales chance

Shane Williams has returned to the Wales side after recovering from elbow surgery and will start on the wing against France in Sunday’s final pre-World Cup Test.

Williams, who sat out the record defeat to England and last weekend’s 27-20 victory over Argentina, comes in for Dafydd James as one of just three changes to Gareth Jenkins’ starting XV.

The other two are injury-enforced. Jamie Robinson starts at outside centre in place of his Cardiff team-mate Tom Shanklin, who is rested after taking a knock to the knee.

And the only change in the pack is at tight-head prop, where Chris Horsman returns to the team with Adam Jones nursing an ankle injury.

Both are expected to be available for Wales’ opening World Cup clash with Canada in Nantes on September 9.

Fly-half Stephen Jones is still recovering from a groin injury but Jenkins has named what he believes to be Wales’ strongest available side.

“We have a lot of work still to do and we must concentrate on developing our style of play. But we are very much looking for a repeat result from last weekend coupled with an improved performance,” said Jenkins.

“We are at the sharp end of the coaching process and have maintained a consistency of selection in order to allow this side to develop its style.

“That is not to say that there is no room for players to break into this side, but it will be easier to add different players once the team has developed the collective understanding we are looking for.

“Shane Williams has a chance to remind us what he has to offer after reaching full fitness and, although Dafydd James is perhaps unlucky to miss out on this occasion, we are all looking forward to seeing what Shane can produce.

“A couple of bumps and bruises mean that Jamie Robinson and Chris Horsman have come into the equation and get another chance to stake their claims in their respective positions. We are just looking at short term injuries with Tom and Adam.”

Wales were understandably delighted with their victory over Argentina, a side ranked three places above them, but France promise a sterner test still.

Les Bleus head to Cardiff after back-to-back victories over England at Twickenham and Marseille in which they kept the world champions tryless.

Jenkins said: “There are obviously things we need to work on and we have undergone in-depth analysis of our performance against Argentina with a view to improving ourselves against France.

“We went home with a victory on Saturday and that was very much a step in the right direction for us.

France are a different prospect and equally tough opposition, but we have reached a point as a team where we are ready to meet this type of challenge and we will relish the chance to meet another top side at the weekend.

“We have had the chance to measure ourselves against some of the best teams that world rugby has to offer prior to the World Cup, with France rating as the top side in Europe.

“We began our campaign in earnest last week and are looking forward to getting out there again at the Millennium Stadium and putting all our hard work of recent weeks into practice.”

Wales team to play France at the Millennium Stadium on Sunday:

K Morgan (Newport Gwent Dragons); M Jones (Llanelli Scarlets), J Robinson (Cardiff Blues), G Thomas (Cardiff Blues, capt), S Williams (Ospreys); J Hook (Ospreys), D Peel (Llanelli Scarlets); D Jones (Ospreys); M Rees (Llanelli Scarlets), C Horsman (Worcester), I Gough (Ospreys), A-W Jones (Ospreys), J Thomas (Ospreys), M Williams (Cardiff Blues), A Popham (Llanelli Scarlets).

Replacements: TR Thomas (Cardiff Blues), G Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), W James (Gloucester), C Charvis (Newport Gwent Dragons), M Phillips (Ospreys), C Sweeney (Newport Gwent Dragons), S Parker (Ospreys).