THE WALES coach, Warren Gatland, has wasted no time in recalling Mike Phillips to the squad for Friday’s Six Nations match against France in Cardiff even though the Lions scrumhalf played his first 40 minutes of rugby for four months on Sunday.
Phillips, who damaged ankle ligaments in October and returned for the Ospreys as a replacement against Connacht, has been named on the bench. He was among those who did not expect to be instantly recalled by Wales, not least because Dwayne Peel was added to the squad after playing for Sale against Leeds last Friday, but Gatland was satisfied he was ready after seeing Phillips play.
Richie Rees starts at scrumhalf after winning his first two caps as a replacement for Gareth Cooper this month. Cooper returns to Cardiff Blues while Peel misses out because Gatland wanted a physical option on the bench against the Six Nations leaders.
Huw Bennett replaces the injured Gareth Williams at hooker while Gatland has chosen a new second-row combination. Bradley Davies will make his first Six Nations start after agreeing with his family that he should play following the death of his mother, Cheryl, last week.
He will be partnered in the second row by his Blues colleague, Deiniol Jones, whose previous two appearances in the championship, in 2008, were as a replacement.
France coach Marc Lievremont has named flanker Julien Bonnaire and wing Benjamin Fall in his starting line-up for Friday’s game. Bonnaire and Fall replace injured duo Vincent Clerc and Fulgence Ouedraogo.
The 29-year-old Bonnaire will win his 50th cap in Cardiff while 20-year-old Fall made his second appearance in Frances 18-9 win against Scotland at Murrayfield earlier this month.
Andy Robinson has made four changes to his Scotland side for Saturday’s match against Italy. Three of the changes are enforced by the tournament-ending injuries suffered by back-three stars Chris Paterson, Thom Evans and Rory Lamont in the defeat to Wales.
The trio are replaced by Hugo Southwell, Simon Danielli and Max Evans, with the latter returning at centre as Sean Lamont moves back to the wing. Allan Jacobsen is recalled at prop in place of Alasdair Dickinson.
SCOTLAND (v Italy): H Southwell (Stade Francais); S Danielli (Ulster), M Evans (Glasgow), G Morrison (Glasgow), S Lamont (Scarlets); D Parks (Glasgow), C Cusiter (Glasgow, capt); A Jacobsen (Edinburgh),
R Ford (Edinburgh), E Murray (Northampton), J Hamilton (Edinburgh), A Kellock (Glasgow), K Brown (Glasgow), J Barclay (Glasgow),
J Beattie (Glasgow). Replacements:
S Lawson (Gloucester), A Dickinson (Gloucester), N Hines (Leinster), A Strokosch (Gloucester), M Blair (Edinburgh), P Godman (Edinburgh), N De Luca (Edinburgh).
WALES REPLACEMENTS – K Owens (Scarlets); R Gill (Saracens); L Charteris (Dragons); S Warburton (Cardiff); M Phillips (Ospreys); A Bishop (Ospreys); T Shanklin (Ospreys).
FRANCE REPLACEMENTS – D Szarzewski (Stade Français); J-B Poux (Toulouse);
J Pierre (Clermont); A Lapandry (Clermont); F Michalak (Toulouse); D Marty (Perpignan); J Malzieu (Clermont).
