DRAGONS back row forward Aaron Wainwright has the chance to stake a claim for a World Cup spot after being given a surprise start in Wales’ Six Nations finale.
The 25-year-old from Bassaleg will get his first action of the championship against France in Paris (kick-off 2.45pm) after missing out on the previous four matchday squads.
The athletic forward will win his 37th cap – and first since facing Scotland last February – as a blindside flanker alongside Justin Tipuric and Taulupe Faletau, who brings up a century of Wales appearances.
Wainwright missed the summer tour South Africa through injury and then was overlooked for the autumn series, which led to the end of the Wayne Pivac era.
The Dragons man was a regular at the end of Warren Gatland's first spell in charge and starred at the last World Cup when he scored his only Test try in the quarter-final win against France.
Now he has got a chance to make a big statement in the countdown to France 2023 after missing out to Tipuric, Faletau, Tommy Reffell, Jac Morgan and Christ Tshiunza in the earlier rounds.
“The World Cup is a carrot for everybody who is involved in the squad,” said Wainwright to the Argus earlier this month.
“When given an opportunity it will be in the back of any player’s head.
“If I need to just keep training hard then that is what I will do; I know I will be ready and raring to go if called upon.”
Gatland has gone for experience in Paris and isn’t just thinking about the return to France for the World Cup later this year.
“There’s up to eight players in the squad who are potentially playing their last Six Nations game," said the head coach.
“We’ve got to think about building for the World Cup this year, but also 2027. You need younger players who need time to develop.
“You want to go to a World Cup with a squad of mid to late 20s with 40 or 50 caps. The message to them who might be playing their last Six Nations game is enjoy the moment.”
Wainwright is joined in the XV by Dragons wing Rio Dyer, who scored in the 29-17 win against Italy in Rome last weekend, while hooker Bradley Roberts gets a call-up as bench cover for captain Ken Owens.
The only Rodney Parade player to miss out on the daunting date with Les Bleus at the Stade de France is tighthead Leon Brown, whose only appearance of the Six Nations was as a replacement in the loss to Scotland at Murrayfield.
ensive lapses that we’ve made and getting those things right. We’re still working hard on our attack.
“I think France last weekend put in probably one of the best performances seen in a long, long time.
"They’re the number two team in the world. They bring a really physical approach to the way they play and they’ve tended to start well.
“So that’s the important thing. We’ve got to go out there and start well, make sure we’re in that arm wrestle with them and give ourselves that opportunity.
“They’re a team that kick the ball a lot, so we’ve also got to make sure that our backfield is right and we’ve got to be good in the air.”
Wales: Rees-Zammit; Adams, North, Tompkins, Dyer; Biggar, Webb; W Jones, Owens (captain), Francis, Beard, AW Jones, Wainwright, Tipuric, Faletau.
Replacements: B Roberts, Thomas, Lewis, D Jenkins, Reffell, T Williams, O Williams, Halfpenny.
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