Six Nations 2015: George North in for Alex Cuthbert - predicts Evans

Alex Cuthbert has scored 14 tries in 31 starts for Wales

Wales and Bristol lock Ian Evans believes Warren Gatland will drop wing Alex Cuthbert for Saturday's Six Nations clash against France.

Gatland is due to name his side for the match in Paris at 13:00 GMT on Tuesday, 24 February.

Evans believes George North will be given the nod to start ahead of Cuthbert after being declared fit.

"He'll [North] probably have the heads up to start against France," said 2013 British and Irish Lion Evans.

Liam Williams was Welsh rugby 's players' player of 2014

Cuthbert, 24, was to be spoken to by the Welsh management after a video recently emerged of him appearing to throw a mobile phone belonging to a member of the public down a street.

Cardiff Blue Cuthbert has not scored in his last four matches for Wales, his last coming against Fiji in November 2014.

Northampton's North was left out of the Wales squad for the Six Nations win over Scotland, after taking two blows to the head against England the week before.

Evans feels Scarlets' Liam Williams, who came in for North, will start instead of Cuthbert with Leigh Halfpenny, of Toulon, staying at full-back.

George North made his name at Scarlets

The former Ospreys star does not anticipate any changes in the Welsh second row.

Racing Metro lock Luke Charteris has been tipped by some pundits to partner Ospreys' Alun Wyn Jones ahead of Jake Ball after impressing coming off the bench at Murrayfield, but Evans disagrees.

"To be fair to the Wales management I don't think they'll probably change too much," said Evans.

"So I think it will probably be Jake Ball and Alun Wyn. Luke Charteris had a great impact [coming on against Scotland], but I think they'll probably be happy just keeping him on the bench."

Whoever does partner Jones at the heart of the Welsh pack, the Ospreys captain sees the outcome of Saturday's match crucial to their title ambitions.

France's superior points difference puts them one place above Wales in third.

"We need to get out of the blocks and stay out there," said Jones.

"They [France] have the capacity to turn it on, and if they do, they are dangerous."

If Wales are to record a fourth successive Six Nations win against Les Bleus, Jones believes the battle up front will be key.

"It's never easy, and French club sides are notorious for driving maul and set-piece dominance," he said.

"They take great pride in that and you can see that from the campaign so far.

"We've lost a few line-outs, and there has been a bit of individual error, but we are a pack of eight and have to keep working."