Dafydd Pritchard
BBC Sport Wales at the Stade de France

Image source, Getty Images

Warren Gatland tends to speak his mind, and he has been typically forthright in the build-up to this year’s Six Nations – his last in charge of Wales.

As well as joking that England could not afford to appoint him once he leaves his current role, Gatland has also said he thinks Wales will win the Six Nations if they beat France tonight.

The New Zealander may fancy his chances, having guided Wales to seven wins from 13 previous meetings with France during his 11 years at the helm.

However, last year’s defeat – a chaotic match which ended with 20 minutes of added time – means Gatland has lost on three of his five visits to the Stade de France with Wales.

Hadleigh Parkes, who is 12 years older than opposite number Romain Ntamack, told the BBC that he remembered Romain's old man Emile from being a teenager playing the iconic Jonah Lomu Rugby.

While football console games are an annual multi-million dollar business, lovers of the oval ball have had to make do with smaller scraps.

We are here for your favourite memories from that game and any later, probably inferior, attempts to translate heaven's game onto a mortal machine.

Drop us a line on #bbcrugby, external or 81111 on text.

Image source, Getty Images

BBC One

BBC One's coverage is alive, alive, oh...

Tune in at the top of this page now.

Image source, Getty

Wales scrum-half Tomos Williams will make his Six Nations debut in the opening match of the 2019 championship.

Williams starts ahead of Gareth Davies, who has had a thigh injury, as Wales make three changes from the side that beat South Africa in their last match.

Wales' other changes see prop Rob Evans and flanker Josh Navidi replace the injured Nicky Smith and Ellis Jenkins.

Wales:15-Liam Williams, 14-George North, 13-Jonathan Davies, 12-Hadleigh Parkes, 11-Josh Adams, 10-Gareth Anscombe, 9-Tomos Williams; 1-Rob Evans, 2-Ken Owens, 3-Tomas Francis, 4-Alun Wyn Jones (capt), 5-Adam Beard, 6-Josh Navidi, 7-Justin Tipuric, 8-Ross Moriarty

Replacements:16-Elliot Dee, 17-Wyn Jones, 18-Samson Lee, 19-Cory Hill, 20-Aaron Wainwright, 21-Gareth Davies, 22-Dan Biggar, 23-Owen Watkin

Image source, Getty Images

A revealing editorial decision by the French match programme publishers.

They had Antoine Dupont on the front cover. Unfortunately Jacques Brunel didn't have him on the teamsheet.

Like a schoolkid on deadline, they pumped up the font size and slide poor Dupont, at least partially, out of view.

There are still tickets available for tonight's match apparently with the French public less than impressed by the team's current form.

Image source, Getty Images

Romain Ntamack makes his debut in a France side with just three players from last year's meeting with Wales.

The 19-year-old surprisingly replaces talismanic centre Mathieu Bastareaud, and is one of two debutants along with South Africa-born lock Paul Willemse.

There is no place for exciting Toulouse scrum-half Antoine Dupont with Morgan Parra and Baptiste Serin preferred.

France:15-Maxime Medard, 14-Damian Penaud, 13-Wesley Fofana, 12-Romain Ntamack, 11-Yoann Huget, 10-Camille Lopez, 9-Morgan Parra; 1-Jefferson Poirot, 2-Guilhem Guirado (capt), 3-Uini Atonio, 4-Sebastien Vahaamahina, 5-Paul Willemse, 6-Wenceslas Lauret, 7-Arthur Iturria, 8-Louis Picamoles

Replacements:16-Julien Marchand, 17-Dany Priso, 18-Demba Bamba, 19-Felix Lambey, 20-Gregory Alldritt, 21-Baptiste Serin, 22-Gael Fickou, 23-Geoffrey Doumayrou

BBC One

BBC television will complete a triple-barreled coverage assault on the 125th edition of the tournament.

BBC One comes swaggering into the party at 19:25 GMT. Sam Warburton, Martin Johnson Thomas Castaignede and Martyn Williams join John Inverdale for that.

So long as the travel arrangements all come together...

BBC Wales caught up with Sam Warburton this morning in a Cardiff Airport queue for a flight that never happened

Cue a swift drive west to catch the Eurostar across the Channel.

Happy to report the former Wales and British and Irish Lions captain is in place...

Image source, Twitter

BBC Radio 5 live

BBC Radio 5 live are already on board the bandwagon.

You can tune into their Six Nations preview show at the top of this page right now with Eleanor Oldroyd, chatting with Jonathan Davies and others.

Meanwhile Gareth Lewis, Paul Grayson and Shane Williams are poised to bring you live commentary once we kick off in Paris.

Image source, Getty Images

Things in the other camp are rather more grim.

France have lost six of their seven Tests. Coach Jacques Brunel's first 11 matches in charge have yielded only three wins, the same number that doomed predecessor Guy Noves managed in his last 11. At the Stade de France, they have won only one of their last four.

However you carve the gateau, it doesn't taste too sweet.

'You never know which French team is going to turn up'? For their supporters it is becoming depressingly predictable...

Image source, Getty Images

The Friday Night Lights are bright and blazing for the start of the 2019 Six Nations.

And hope burns bright among Wales fans that 2019 could be the year to top all years.

They arrive in the French capital on the back of nine successive wins with a world ranking of third on the CV and confidence running at 120psi.

With Warren Gatland set to sling his hook at the end of the World Cup, could they turn promise and potential into a glorious double-headed sign-off celebration?

The long road to that goal starts here...