THE 2025 Six Nations kicks off with the Friday night blockbuster clash between Wales and France in Paris.
But the Dragons will be without their talismanic No8 Taulupe Faletau — here we take a look at why.
PA:Press AssociationTaulupe Faletau removed himself from the selection process[/caption]
Taulupe Faletau will not be playing in the Wales vs France Six Nations fixture, which kicks off at 8.15 pm on Friday, January 31, 2025.
This is because he feels that he is not fully ready to return to international competition.
Faletau, who has been a key player for Wales over the years with 104 caps, made the call himself to withdraw from selection for the opening Six Nations match.
Wales coach Warren Gatland said: “He’s just not quite ready. He made the call on Tuesday to say he’s not quite ready for selection.
“He’s still part of the squad and he’ll still come with us. We’re hoping he’ll be right for Italy.”
When asked whether Faletau would play during the rest of the Six Nations, he added: “That’s the plan.
“He made the call and said ‘I’ve got to put the team first’. He’s not 100 per cent. His knee is a bit sore at the moment.
“He didn’t feel he’d be 100 per cent for Friday so he wanted some more time for Italy.”
Injury history
Faletau has been sidelined from Test rugby for nearly 16 months.
His last appearance was in the 2023 Rugby World Cup pool victory against Georgia — Wales’ last win.
He has faced significant injury setbacks since he broke his arm in that match — he fractured his shoulder when he attempted to return and play for Cardiff six months later.
Impact on Wales
The absence of Faletau is a significant blow to the Welsh squad, given his experience and world-class ability.
However, the Dragons are not without options in the back row.
Aaron Wainwright has been selected to start at No. 8 alongside James Botham and captain Jac Morgan.
Taulupe Faletau didn’t feel he’d be 100 per cent for Friday so he wanted some more time for Italy
Warren Gatland
Can Wales win?
Despite being written off 20-1 outsiders, Wales coach Gatland fancies his side’s chances.
He said: “We’ve spoken about the fact that ironically there is probably more pressure and expectation on France.
“There is expectation from their fans. They expect their team to throw the ball around and score tries.
“From experience and my point of view, teams can try a bit too much early on and throw the ball around and that gives you opportunities.
“We haven’t spoken about the negativity.
“You try to create a little bit of your own siege mentality where you build that up in your own environment and you try and not take too much note of the stuff that’s going on outside.
“We want to go out there and play some good rugby. We want to go out there and do some things that potentially France aren’t going to expect us to do.
“We have talked about being really positive in terms of the way that we play against them, to see that there are opportunities to attack them as well.”
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