Wales, who won the RBS 6 Nations title and Grand Slam with victory over France in Cardiff four weeks ago, will head to Paris on February 27 for a 9pm kick-off (local time).

Wales head coach Gatland said: “Travelling to France is always a tough proposition, and playing on a Friday night will be interesting but it won’t faze us.

“We will prepare in the same professional way as we do for any other game, and we are lucky to have an impressive band of travelling supporters who can help bring a home atmosphere to any away fixture.”

Wales kick-off their campaign away to Scotland on February 8, then host Martin Johnson’s England eight days later.

Gatland added: “We have a gruelling trip to the home of the world champions (South Africa) this summer, and further tough games against top southern hemisphere opposition to look forward to in the autumn before we have any hope of being able to assess our chances of defending the (RBS 6 Nations) title.

“We will go into the championship as the holders, and that automatically means other teams will be gunning for us from the outset, but that is a position we will relish being in.

“The fixture list is pretty much the flip side of the one that treated us so well this year. It offers us different challenges with three games on the road.

“But we are given the opportunity to go to both Scotland and Italy, where the players will feel they didn’t get their performance right in 2007, and we will have the chance to put that right.

“Our challenge now is to continue to improve, and there is no better way to start that process than against the world champions this summer.”

England, meanwhile, face what should be a routine Twickenham opener against Italy on February 7 next year.

Wales will be a far tougher prospect though, before England tackle Ireland at Croke Park - they lost 43-13 on their one previous visit in 2007 - host France and then finish at home to Scotland.