Jenkins has beefed up his pack with props Chris Horsman and Gethin Jenkins returning to a new-look front row.

Hooker Matthew Rees starts his first RBS 6 Nations game while lock Ian Gough comes into the second row for Robert Sidoli, who drops out of the squad altogether.

Lee Byrne starts at full-back after recovering from a knee injury and replaces Kevin Morgan, who broke his jaw in the Murrayfield defeat.

Tom Shanklin, a second-half substitute nine days ago, starts at outside centre with Shane Williams returning to the wing after missing the defeats to Ireland and Scotland.

Jenkins said: Its obviously a boost to have someone of Shanes ability and experience back in the fold and the same applies to Tom Shanklin who makes his first start of this campaign and also Lee Byrne who has been called into the squad.

But its also fair to say we would have preferred to be easing these players in under different circumstances.

None of the three individuals mentioned have played much rugby in recent weeks, but that is the situation we are in and the likes of Tom, with 37 caps, and Shane, who is nearing the half century, are more than capable of meeting the challenge ahead.

Lee Byrne also has experience of international rugby in the specialist fullback position under his belt and he has come back to fitness at just the right time for us.

Up front we have looked at the physicality of our front row and have presented a different dynamic for the French match than that against Scotland.

We were not at our best in that area at Murrayfield and we have looked for extra power in the scrum this time out.

Brent Cockbain provides the second row cover ahead of Sidoli and returns to a Wales squad for the first time since injuring his hamstring against Fiji in November 2005.

Cockbain will offer impact and physicality to us from the bench and Gough has been preferred to Sidoli for similar reasons as we look at each team selection on its merits, said Jenkins.

There was no place in the squad for Colin Charvis, the Newport Gwent Dragons in-form loose forward, with Jonathan Thomas retaining his place on the bench.

Wales team:

L Byrne (Ospreys); S Williams (Ospreys), T Shanklin (Cardiff Blues), J Hook (Ospreys), M Jones (Llanelli Scarlets); S Jones (Llanelli Scarlets), D Peel (Llanelli Scarlets); G Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), M Rees (Llanelli Scarlets), C Horsman (Worcester), I Gough (Newport Gwent Dragons), AW Jones (Ospreys), A Popham (Llanelli Scarlets), M Williams (Cardiff Blues), R Jones (Ospreys)

Replacements: R Thomas (Cardiff Blues), D Jones (Ospreys), B Cockbain (Ospreys), J Thomas (Ospreys), M Phillips (Cardiff Blues), C Sweeney (Newport Gwent Dragons), J Robinson (Cardiff Blues).