Jones started Wales’ last two victories over Italy and Ireland but head coach Warren Gatland believes Hook’s creative qualities will be best suited to tackling the French.

The only other change from Saturday’s 16-12 Triple Crown victory in Dublin is the return of hooker Huw Bennett, who missed out at Croke Park after contracting flu.

Wales are on the brink of winning the RBS 6 Nations title and one victory away from a second Grand Slam triumph in four years.

Gatland said: “We have an historic opportunity and we intend to grasp it with both hands.

“We have afforded ourselves the luxury of bringing in James Hook for the different qualities he will offer in this match, but we have pretty much said 'same again’ to the boys that brought home the silverware on Saturday.

“Stephen Jones will offer us the benefit of his vast experience from the bench and he is one of a number of players who can come on and change the game for us if necessary.

“Huw Bennett comes in for Matthew Rees but, as I’ve said previously, there are marginal selection decisions to make all over the field and hooker is the perfect example of one of them.

“We are confident, we have worked hard and if we continue in the same vein in which we started this campaign, we believe we can come away with a deserved victory on Saturday.”

Wales’ healthy points difference means they can afford to lose by 18 points and still be crowned RBS 6 Nations champions - but Gatland wants to finish on a high and seal a 10th Welsh Grand Slam.

“It will be nice if we can take the championship, but we’d like to be doing it with a win over France. To win on points difference would be something of a hollow victory,” said Gatland.

“We have already achieved something in this campaign that can’t be taken away from us, but we have an opportunity now to push on and do something a little bit special in front of our home crowd and to put some more smiles on Welsh faces for the second time in eight days.”

Wales team to play France in the RBS 6 Nations at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday (kick-off 1700):

L Byrne (Ospreys); M Jones (Llanelli Scarlets), T Shanklin (Cardiff Blues), G Henson (Ospreys), S Williams (Ospreys); J Hook (Ospreys), M Phillips (Ospreys); G Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), H Bennett (Ospreys), A Jones (Ospreys), I Gough (Ospreys), AW Jones (Ospreys), J Thomas (Ospreys), M Williams (Cardiff Blues), R Jones (Ospreys, capt).

Replacements: M Rees (Llanelli Scarlets), D Jones (Ospreys), I Evans (Ospreys), G Delve (Gloucester), D Peel (Llanelli Scarlets), S Jones (Llanelli Scarlets), S Parker (Ospreys).