Bayern Munich captain Manuel Neuer has been ruled out of Germany’s upcoming friendlies against France and the Netherlands due to injury.

Neuer was absent from all of his country’s matches last year because of a broken leg but German media has reported the 37-year-old remains Julian Nagelsmann’s first-choice goalkeeper ahead of Euro 2024.

However, he has withdrawn from the final two tune-ups – against France in Lyon on Saturday and the visit of the Netherlands in Frankfurt next Tuesday – before Nagelsmann names his squad for the tournament.

A brief statement on the German national team’s official website said: “Manuel Neuer has left the German national team early and will be out of the two upcoming international matches against France and the Netherlands.

“The FC Bayern Munich goalkeeper and 2014 world champion left the team’s headquarters in Gravenbruch near Frankfurt due to a torn muscle fibre in his left adductor. He sustained the injury in training on Wednesday morning.”

Neuer earned the last of his 117 national team caps in Germany’s final group stage match at the 2022 World Cup – a 4-2 win over Costa Rica.

Bayonne have announced the signing of England centre Manu Tuilagi from Sale on a two-year contract.

The 32-year-old will join the French club at the end of the season in a move likely to bring an end to his Test career.

Rugby Football Union regulations dictate any player departing the Gallagher Premiership becomes ineligible for international selection.

A short statement on Bayonne’s website read: “England centre Manu Tuilagi has signed for the next two seasons. Welcome Manu!”

Tuilagi won his 60th – and likely final – England cap in Saturday’s 33-31 Guinness Six Nations defeat by France in Lyon.

Earlier on Tuesday, the former Leicester player outlined ambitions of helping Sale lift the Premiership title as he confirmed his decision to leave Alex Sanderson’s side.

“I’ve absolutely loved my time at Sale,” he told the club website. “It was a really tough conversation with Al, and a tough decision for everyone because my family and I have been really happy here.

“I never thought I’d leave Leicester and it was a big move, but since arriving here I’ve grown a lot as a person. I’ve developed as a player, but more so as a person.

“The environment at Sale is amazing. It’s what makes me want to get out of bed and put the work in, and I genuinely love coming in every day.

“If I’ve helped the young players then that’s great, but they’ve helped me so much too and I’m going to miss them all.

“The mindset from the start of the season was to win the Premiership and that’s what we’re all focused on now. Knowing it’s my last season here will give me an extra push to make sure I leave on a high.”

Tuilagi has been an automatic pick in the midfield for four successive England coaches due to the power he provides on both sides of the ball.

However, his career has been heavily interrupted by a number of serious injuries, including groin, chest, hamstring, knee and a broken hand.

Sale currently sit seventh in the Premiership table.

Sharks director of rugby Sanderson said: “We talked about what was best for the club and what was best for Manu and his family, and we had to make a tough decision. But it’s still a wrench and really tough for me to accept that he’s going.

“He is one of the world’s best players and one of the world’s best blokes. There are very few people who can do what he can on the field. As a player he’s every bit as good as I thought he was before I came here, but as a person he continues to surprise and inspire me to be better.

“We’ll miss him massively on the field, but the void he leaves off it will be harder to fill.

“His smile is the same whether he’s running on to the field ready to smash someone, or sitting opposite you having a glass of wine, and I’m really going to miss that.”

Steve Borthwick praised England’s fighting spirit after seeing his team denied a precious Guinness Six Nations win against France by a final-minute Thomas Ramos penalty.

England appeared to have snatched victory with the second of two fightbacks when Tommy Freeman crossed in the right corner only for a no-arms tackle by Ben Earl in the closing seconds to enable Ramos to seal a 33-31 victory.

It ended an enthralling evening in Lyon that saw Borthwick’s side back up their stunning triumph over Ireland in every respect apart from the final result.

Borthwick stated after England lost to Scotland at Murrayfield in round three that the Red Rose jersey was weighing heavily on his players, but he saw the pressure lift at Groupama Stadium.

“My overriding emotion is immense pride in the players and gratitude to our supporters,” Borthwick said.

“The players have been incredible – they played really well and I’m really disappointed for them.

“I’ve talked about the weight of the shirt in the past but with the kind of support we’re getting, the England shirt is starting to feel a bit lighter, it’s helping these players grow.

“We didn’t get the result we wanted but you look at the players and the fight and intensity they had.

“I don’t think these guys are ever beaten and we weren’t beaten in this game, we just ran out of time. We saw the way they went back at it to try to find another score.

“We’ve taken on two teams in the top four of the world and we’ve shown how we can compete with them.

“To be clear, we don’t just want to be competing, we want to win. We shown the team has step forward.”

The nature of France’s victory brought memories of last autumn’s Rugby World Cup flooding back for Jamie George, who recalled the similarity between Ramos’ penalty and Handre Pollard kicking South Africa to a last-gasp semi-final win from a similar position.

“That’s the way Test match rugby goes – we knew it’s going to be hostile and we knew France were coming out to give it a good crack. I thought it was a great Test match all in all,” England captain George said.

“Of course I’m gutted about the result. I feel like we deserved a lot of the game because of the way we attacked it game and went after it.

“There was a lot to be very pleased about and very proud of. Fair play to France for coming back and getting that penalty at the end and fair play to Ramos for knocking it over.

“There was a bit of deja vu from the Pollard penalty a few month ago. That’s always going to be tough to take but like Steve said there’s so much to be proud of over the last few weeks.

“We genuinely feel like this team is on and upward curve and we’re going somewhere.”

France finished second in the Six Nations and boss Fabien Galthie felt it helped make amends for their World Cup quarter-final exit.

“We are very happy, it was a tough game, it was a tough tournament. We paid for our mistakes, we learnt about our mistakes. We were resilient and solid,” Galthie said.

“This game looked like our quarter final against South Africa but at the end, the result is really different.

“And I think this game can help us to forget what happened during the World Cup.”

England finished third in the Guinness Six Nations after a monster Thomas Ramos penalty in the final minute sent them spinning to a heartbreaking 33-31 defeat at Groupama Stadium.

Steve Borthwick’s men have trailed at half-time of every match of the Championship and once more they faced an uphill battle, this time in the form of 16-6 deficit that included a try of the tournament contender for scrum-half Nolann Le Garrec.

But they turned the contest on its head by amassing 21 unanswered points through two Ollie Lawrence tries and a Marcus Smith touch down as their attack ran amok through the France midfield.

France regrouped to cross through Leo Barre and Gael Fickou but England were not done yet as Tommy Freeman stormed over in the right corner with five minutes remaining.

They appeared to have secured their fourth win of the Six Nations having staged multiple fightbacks but when they infringed just outside their half with seconds left, Ramos kept his nerve to hit the target.

Manu Tuilagi came on for what is likely to be his final England appearance and he could not have asked for a more dramatic send-off.

Ireland may already have clinched the title by toppling Scotland but if evidence was needed that this match still mattered it came when Ramos kicked off before the countdown had even begun.

Once the false start had been dealt with, England were greeted with waves of attacks and a challenging opening was compounded when George Furbank departed with a calf injury and was replaced by Smith.

George Ford drew first blood through a penalty and his side were successfully slowing down play to stem the blue tide but there was no stopping the stunning end to end move began by Fickou and finished by Le Garrec.

England were in danger of being swept aside as they scrambled furiously to stop a second long-range strike but a sizeable lead opened up when Ramos kicked his second penalty.

Wing Damian Penaud beat a host of tackles yet made no metres in a crabbing run but it resulted in another opportunity for Ramos and he found the posts once more.

England showed their mettle, however, when Lawrence ran through Fickou on the cusp of half-time for a vitally important try that reduced the interval deficit to 16-10.

And there was better to come as a sweeping move given impetus by big runs from Sam Underhill and Ben Earl ended with a second try for Lawrence.

In a remarkable turn of events, England were now breaking through the home defence at will as Underhill and Earl combined a second time to create the opening before Smith arrived to score.

France now found their second wind and when their opponents eventually ran out of bodies in defence, they crossed through Barre to make it a one-point game heading into the final quarter.

With control restored, the 2023 World Cup hosts conjured a third try by Fickou that was born out of Theo Dan’s line-out overthrow.

But there was yet another twist as England staged a well-constructed attack that led to an overlap, providing a simple run in for Freeman.

Yet, with the Test seemingly won, up stepped Ramos to decide otherwise.

Toni Kroos has been recalled to the Germany squad after an absence of almost three years, the country’s football association has announced.

The Real Madrid midfielder revealed last month he was planning to come out of international retirement.

The 34-year-old made himself unavailable for selection after Germany’s elimination from the delayed Euro 2020 tournament but has reversed his decision following talks with new coach Julian Nagelsmann.

Former Bayern Munich boss Nagelsmann, who took charge of the national side last September, has included Kroos in a 26-man squad for friendlies against France and the Netherlands later this month.

This would indicate Kroos, who has 106 international caps and won the World Cup in 2014, is now in the picture for this summer’s European Championship.

Veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, the former Germany captain, has also been recalled for the first time since breaking his leg in a skiing accident in December 2022.

George Ford continues at fly-half as England keep faith with the side that stunned Ireland for their attempt at winning the Guinness Six Nations title.

Head coach Steve Borthwick has made only one enforced changed for the showdown with France in Lyon on Saturday night by choosing Elliot Daly to replace the injured Immanuel Feyi-Waboso.

Feyi-Waboso self-reported concussion symptoms incurred against Ireland, prompting England to stand down their breakout player of the tournament.

Veteran Daly is restored to the left wing in his absence, with Tommy Freeman switching to the number 14 jersey worn by the 21-year Exeter Chief on his first international start.

Manu Tuilagi makes his first appearance of the Six Nations after taking Daly’s place on the bench in what will be his first Test since last autumn’s World Cup bronze medal match, having missed the opening rounds because of a groin problem.

Ford has held off the challenge of Marcus Smith to retain the fly-half duties for the climax to the tournament.

Smith kicked the last-gasp drop goal that sank Ireland 23-22 last Saturday and made a telling contribution off the bench, bring extra zip to England’s attack after Ford had pulled the strings effectively earlier on.

A second change among the replacements sees Ethan Roots replace calf injury victim Chandler Cunningham-South.

England will win the title if Ireland lose to Scotland without claiming a bonus point and they defeat France while securing a bonus point.

“After such a hard-fought win against Ireland last week, we realise how important it is to back that performance up with another similar display in Lyon on Saturday,” Borthwick said.

“France remain one of the very top sides in the world and will pose a great challenge for us.

“We’ve had a great preparation so far this week and there is a genuine sense of anticipation and determination around the camp as we head to what will be an exciting final weekend.”

Six Nations chief executive Tom Harrison insists bonus points are unlikely to be abandoned if it transpires that Ireland win this year’s tournament despite claiming fewer victories than England.

England’s triumph over Andy Farrell’s men on Saturday has brought intrigue to the final day of the Guinness Six Nations, with both sides capable of lifting the crown, while France and Scotland also have mathematical chances of winning.

Ireland are in the driving seat and could retain their title even if they lose or draw against Scotland and England topple France, because they have already accumulated four bonus points.

It would be the first time since bonus points were introduced in 2017 that the team finishing top had collected fewer victories than the side in second, but Harrison has indicated the format is here to stay.

When asked about whether a rethink would be needed if the Six Nations was won in that way, Harrison replied: “Yes, if we think bonus points are a problem.

“But remember why bonus points are there – bonus points are there to promote positive rugby. It’s about fan engagement, right?

“It’s also that the players know. It’s not as though we’re saying ‘You’ve played so well we’re going to award you an extra point afterwards’. No, I don’t think it will change.

“I’m delighted that there is some jeopardy going into the final weekend. It’s great. That’s one of the features of the Six Nations – you genuinely don’t know what’s going to happen.”

Harrison was speaking at the launch of the Women’s Six Nations in London – a competition England are aiming to win for the sixth successive year, with France their closest rivals.

With their rivals investing more money into their national programmes in an attempt to catch up, Harrison is confident the playing field will level out.

“It would be great to have more competitive matches and I think that, through the investments that have happened just in the last 12 months, we will start to see some of that,” he said.

“Of course, England and France have obviously also upped their game in terms of their performance, and we have had another year of understanding how to become even better.

“Partners are very interested in seeing those improvements and seeing how teams are becoming more competitive.

“And let’s be honest, this isn’t the domination that you might see in Scottish football, for example. We’ve got a couple of years where the gap has widened and I expect that gap to narrow.

“Our role is to provide increased levels of funding for the women’s game because we don’t really get involved in the high-performance space.

“What we can do, though, is ensure those funding streams are healthy, open and exploited to the full extent.”

England wing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso has prioritised his health over the prospect of facing France after self-reporting symptoms of concussion.

Attack coach Richard Wigglesworth revealed Feyi-Waboso has been ruled out of the climax to the Guinness Six Nations in Lyon after he became “groggy” in the wake of Saturday’s 23-22 victory over Ireland.

Although the 21-year-old Exeter University medical student finished the match, it was only afterwards that he felt the effects of a possible concussion that cannot be traced to any one incident on the field.

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It means England’s breakout star of the Six Nations will be unable to take part in the bid to snatch Ireland’s title a week after setting Twickenham alight with a dynamic display on his first start.

“Manny felt a bit groggy so he is unfortunately ruled out of the game, but we don’t take any risks with that sort of stuff,” Wigglesworth said.

“He’s obviously gutted but being the smart lad he is, he reported his symptoms. He did the right thing.”

England have chosen not to replace Feyi-Waboso in their 36-man training squad, with Elliot Daly likely to take his place on the wing against France.

Cardiff-born Feyi-Waboso was persuaded to pledge his national allegiance to England by Steve Borthwick in January and both player and coach have been rewarded by his dynamic displays, two of them coming off the bench.

“It had been building for Manny. You have to integrate these players carefully and I think Steve did that well in how he exposed him to Test rugby so he was ready to fly,” Wigglesworth said.

“He played really well, got his hands on the ball and did what we asked him to do and brought his talents.

“It’s very disappointing for him as I know how desperate he was to play again and how much he enjoyed his first start.”

England picked themselves up off the canvas after a disappointing defeat by Scotland in round three to end Ireland’s Grand Slam defence when Marcus Smith kicked a last-gasp drop-goal.

Steve Borthwick’s side had been irked by the avalanche of predictions that they would be routed by the favourites, whose former number eight Jamie Heaslip even said their only chance was if Ireland had one or two players sent off.

England back row Ben Earl stated after the win that “apparently we’re the worst England team ever. We’ve done pretty well for that accolade”, but Wigglesworth admits that defiant rage will only take a team so far.

“Every week is different and as a player, a coaching staff and a team, you use different things and you will tap into different emotions,” he said.

“We want to be obsessed with getting better, we want to keep moving on. What is called a disaster, for us is a learning experience so at the end we are moving the dial in the right direction.

“There are emotional buttons the players want to press themselves but at the core is trying to move our game on, trying to get better, having real clarity on what we are going after so we get better.”

Owen Watkin hopes he can “prove a point” when he returns to Wales’ midfield against Guinness Six Nations opponents France on Sunday.

The Ospreys centre has been in and out of favour since winning the first of 37 caps against Australia in 2017.

He was overlooked for last year’s World Cup, not featuring among seven centres chosen by Wales head coach Warren Gatland in a preliminary training squad.

Watkin then gained a recall against Scotland in Wales’ Six Nations opener, only to be omitted for appointments with England and Ireland.

But he has been handed another opportunity, replacing Nick Tompkins as part of a new-look midfield combination with Joe Roberts.

Tompkins and 120 times-capped George North miss out this time around, and it is a golden chance for Watkin and Six Nations debutant Roberts to excel together at the start of a World Cup cycle.

“I am sure Nick and George are disappointed at not playing, but Joe and I have been disappointed as well when we haven’t played in the last two games,” Watkin said.

“I just want to get on the field, but I do enjoy playing at inside centre and it is where I have played for most of the season at the Ospreys.

“Nick and George have played together in the last two games, and so Joe and I have been the opposition for them in training. You come to terms with a combination quite quickly.

“Joe is still pretty young, but I am looking forward to seeing him getting out and playing at the weekend. Hopefully, we can build a partnership together.

“I’ve got a chance to prove a point and show I am really capable of holding on to the 12 or 13 jersey.”

Wales have suffered four successive Six Nations defeats against France, while their only victories in the last 14 tournament starts were against Scotland in 2022 and Italy last year.

France, though, are also struggling on the back of a comprehensive defeat against Ireland and a home draw with Italy.

Watkin added: “We know it is going to be a massive test for our back-line, but I think we’ve got a back-line that can cause problems.

“France haven’t been consistent, but you can never doubt a French team. They can turn up when they want, and when you look at their team they have got some really dangerous players.

“We’ve got to be on our game for 80 minutes.”

Warren Gatland believes that Antoine Dupont’s absence from the Guinness Six Nations has proved “a massive loss” for France.

Les Bleus’ mercurial World Cup captain has joined the sevens circuit ahead of the Paris Olympics later this year.

And France have struggled without him, being beaten comprehensively by Six Nations title favourites Ireland and then drawing at home against Italy, either side of narrowly defeating Scotland.

They tackle Wales at the Principality Stadium on Sunday, when Gatland’s team will target a first Six Nations victory over them since 2019.

“It just shows when you are with a team – and we have been lucky enough with this in the past and it is the challenge going forward – that having two or three X-factor players in your team can make a massive difference,” Wales head coach Gatland said.

“Sometimes you get two relatively even teams, but it is the individual brilliance of someone who can change a game.

“There is no doubt for me that Dupont is a massive loss for them. He is probably the best player in the world.

“We have already seen what he has done with the French sevens team. They won the sevens tournament (in Los Angeles).

“(Romain) Ntamack is a big loss for them in terms of that nine-10 partnership. It is difficult to put your finger on it.

“They have made some changes. They have probably thought they don’t feel like they can win the Six Nations, so there is a chance to give players in their squad an opportunity.”

Whether Wales can take advantage of France’s current position remains to be seen.

Gatland’s team have yet to win in this season’s tournament, raising the potential scenario of a wooden-spoon decider against Italy next weekend if they do not triumph on Sunday.

It is 21 years since Wales last finished bottom of the Six Nations table, although they were fifth in three of the past four seasons.

Considerable interest will surround the appearance of a new centre pairing, with Six Nations debutant Joe Roberts partnering Owen Watkin after Gatland left out George North and Nick Tompkins.

And captain Dafydd Jenkins has been moved from lock to blindside flanker as Will Rowlands and Adam Beard team up in the second-row.

Gatland added: “We’ve spoken to the two boys (Roberts and Watkin) about their roles. They have got a chance to make a statement.

“The big thing for them – what I am looking for – is not about them playing, but them being vocal, making sure they communicate to the 10s and take that communication from the outside.

“That is a massive thing for us in terms of work-on, but also them realising how vocal they need to be in attack and defence.

“We had spoken early in the tournament about giving Daf that chance (at blindside). He was pretty excited when we did talk about it in one of the earlier games.

“When we said we were playing him at second-row, he joked we didn’t have the guts to put him in the back-row!

“It is a good chance as a young player to get that opportunity in a different position.

“We know what a big pack France will put out and particularly that first 20 or 30 minutes. They were really direct against Italy in that time and could have been three tries up.

“We have got to expect a real physical challenge, particularly in the early exchanges of the game.”

Bryony Frost is considering splitting her time between England and France in search of further opportunities.

The jockey has enjoyed many high-profile successes on British shores, notably winning the 2019 Ryanair Chase and 2020 King George aboard Frodon and the Tingle Creek on Greaneteen in 2021.

She has countless other graded wins to her name and rides predominantly in Britain for Paul Nicholls, Lucy Wadham and her father Jimmy.

Now Frost may branch out and head across the Channel to establish herself in France, where she has been riding out for Noel George and Amanda Zetterholm, the team behind Il Est Francais, and Louisa Carberry.

“It’s about getting to know the horses, the training and the way of life,” she told the Sun.

“It’s about laying bricks to build the pyramid of another opportunity - although I have to admit my French is minimal!

“I must say Noel has a brilliant team of people and horses, and I sat on some gorgeous three-year-olds this week.

“It’s a liquid situation currently, but who knows what’s on the horizon?”

The French and English seasons run on different schedules, which would allow Frost to take rides in both jurisdictions – with France’s female rider allowance of particular benefit to her in handicaps there.

“Obviously our season is still rolling, and I’ll be working as hard as ever here, but the French and English basically have split calendars, so let’s see where we go,” she said.

“I’m happy to graft for the chance and, after more than 1,700 rides and over 200 winners, have total confidence in my ability.

“And, of course, in France the female jockeys get a near-5lb allowance in all handicaps, so I’d certainly snap up the benefit of that thank you!

“I’m keeping an open mind about things, but if the right openings come, I’ll grab them with both hands.”

Wales will target a first win of their Guinness Six Nations campaign when they tackle France in Cardiff on Sunday.

Warren Gatland’s team have lost all three matches in this season’s tournament so far, but they host a French side struggling for form.

Here, the PA news agency looks at some key talking points ahead of the game.

A big chance for Wales

Recent history does not favour Wales, having lost their last four Six Nations games against France, although two of those defeats were by just four points. But they have a golden opportunity to end that sequence, taking on a team that saw title hopes effectively extinguished by Ireland on opening night, before edging past Scotland and then being held to a draw at home by Italy. New-look Wales have shown glimpses of promise as Gatland begins building for World Cup 2027 and victory over France would do wonders in terms of that process.

Nervy Italian job

Wales have not finished bottom of the Six Nations for 21 years, but a wooden-spoon decider beckons against Italy in Cardiff next weekend if they are beaten by France. Wales lost all five games of the 2003 tournament under Gatland’s fellow New Zealander Steve Hansen, while Italy triumphed on their last Principality Stadium visit two years ago. Worryingly for Wales, they have suffered 12 defeats from the last 14 Six Nations starts, toppling only Scotland two years ago and Italy in 2023. With two home games to come, Wales have control of their own destiny, but the margins are fine.

Winnett is a winner

Heading into the penultimate round of Six Nations fixtures, few players have made a bigger impact on the tournament than Wales full-back Cameron Winnett. With Liam Williams, Leigh Halfpenny and Louis Rees-Zammit – all previous options in the number 15 shirt – unavailable to Gatland, he turned to 21-year-old Winnett and it has proved an inspired choice. Winnett had played only 15 games of professional rugby before gaining a first Wales squad call-up, but after three Six Nations appearances he topped the statistics for metres carried and metres gained and was the highest-ranked back in terms of carries, leaving the likes of James Lowe and Duhan Van Der Merwe in his slipstream.

France’s World Cup hangover

France had to cope with huge expectation and pressure to win last year’s World Cup on home soil, but it all ended in devastating fashion through a 29-28 defeat against quarter-final opponents South Africa. They then saw mercurial captain Antoine Dupont switch to playing sevens ahead of the Paris Olympics and Les Bleus have simply not recovered during an underwhelming Six Nations campaign. Will a first loss to Wales in Cardiff since 2018 now follow? Neither team has momentum, both sides are in the table’s bottom half, yet France appear to be the ones most vulnerable.

Centres of attention

Wales boss Gatland sprung two major selection surprises ahead of facing France by omitting World Cup centres George North and Nick Tompkins. Joe Roberts makes a first Six Nations start as North’s replacement – with Owen Watkin taking over from Tompkins – and it is a decision that has divided opinion. There are those who understand the rationale at this early stage of a World Cup cycle to test an alternative midfield partnership, but others have been left baffled that two of Wales’ most consistent performers with 155 caps between them are not required on this occasion. Masterstroke or misjudgement?

Although growing up in touching distance of Prestbury Park, Noel George will be attempting to land a blow for France when Milan Tino becomes the first horse he will saddle at the Cheltenham Festival.

His father Tom George has sent out both Galileo (Royal & SunAlliance Novices’ Hurdle, 2002) and Summerville Boy (Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, 2018) to strike at the showpiece meeting from the Slad training base where George Jr learnt the ropes.

However, the younger George has swapped the Cotswolds for Chantilly, where alongside Amanda Zetterholm he has formed a formidable Anglo-Swedish training partnership that is taking French racing by storm.

It is the exploits of superstar chaser Il Est Francais that first alerted a British audience to George and Zetterholm’s training talents, but the JP McManus-owned juvenile Milan Tino is the source of the duo’s Cheltenham dreams as he prepares for a shot at the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle on the opening day of Festival action.

George said: “He did his last piece of work on Tuesday and worked very nicely. He is heading over on Sunday and we’ve got our fingers crossed for a good run.

“It’s our first Cheltenham Festival runner and it’s a real dream. The fact we are coming over from France with one with a live chance is really exciting.”

Milan Tino is no stranger to Cheltenham having visited twice already this season, each time finishing third and only having Triumph Hurdle favourite Sir Gino and the highly-talented Burdett Road ahead of him in his most recent trip to Prestbury Park on Festival Trials day.

He has also finished in the money in competitive juvenile heats at Auteuil and George is hoping the handicapper has given the four-year-old a real chance of what can be classed as a rare Festival success for France.

“To start with he was off 136 because of his French form and the handicapper seems to think off his English runs he is now 126, so I hope we have a few pounds in hand I guess,” continued George, with Milan Tino a best price of 8-1 at Cheltenham.

“Sir Gino I knew before from when he ran in the Prix Wild Monarch and he has always been a bit special and Burdett Road is also obviously a very good ex-Flat horse, so we go there with a live chance and I’m really looking forward to it.”

Warren Gatland has underlined Wales’ desperation to end their losing Six Nations run this season and claim what would be a statement victory over France.

Even though Les Bleus have produced nowhere near their standards of last year, highlighted by a comprehensive defeat against Ireland and home draw with Italy, they have claimed four successive Six Nations wins at Wales’ expense.

Despite several promising moments in defeats to Scotland, England and Ireland, new-look Wales are nil from three heading into Sunday’s Principality Stadium clash.

They have not lost all five games of a Six Nations campaign since 2003, with Italy – conquerors of Wales in Cardiff two years ago – arriving next weekend.

Wales’ recent overall Six Nations record is poor, having claimed just two victories from the last 14 starts, beating Scotland in 2022 and Italy last season.

“We need to win, and that is what Test match rugby is all about,” Wales head coach Gatland said.

“We desperately want to win. We feel we have been going OK and we want to try and put a complete performance together.

“We know we are on a journey, but we are trying to fast-track things as quickly as possible. A win on Sunday would be a good stepping stone for that.

“Whether they (France) come here to throw the ball around or play an off-loading game, or whether they go for being a bit more brutal upfront and play for territory, we have just got to make sure we are prepared for anything.

“We are desperate to get that win. We know we are not quite there and there is a lot of work to do, but we have put ourselves in games and put teams under pressure.

“They (France) have got a huge pack, but that is the challenge for us, it is about moving their pack around. We saw what happened to them against Italy, that they do tire and that creates opportunities.”

Wales were edged out by a point against Scotland, then two points at England’s hands, and captain Dafydd Jenkins added: “Obviously, we are extremely disappointed to lose games, especially with the tight ones.

“But in terms of staying composed, I think we have built game on game and I feel like we’ve got better.

“We are looking at the quality in the room we have, and we should be winning games, so that is really what we are striving for.”

Gatland’s main selection talking point has been a new centre combination of Joe Roberts, who makes his first Six Nations start, and Owen Watkin.

George North, Wales’ most experienced Six Nations squad member with 120 caps, and Saracens’ Nick Tompkins were the midfield pairing during the World Cup and in two Six Nations games this term.

Gatland said: “We just wanted to give Joe an opportunity. He is a left-foot (kicking) option as well, and he has been training well.

“I thought they (North and Tompkins) were outstanding during the World Cup. Again, it is a chance for us to look at a few other players.

“George and I have had some honest discussions about whether he gets through to the next World Cup (in 2027). He started at a very young age, I think at 18 he was playing for Wales.

“Part of our discussions were about how we manage him, how do we look after him going forward?

“We’ve just got to make sure we have got some depth in that 13 position. That is why Joe gets an opportunity.

“I must say how the two boys (North and Tompkins) have responded after the disappointment of being left out this week. They has been fantastic in the way they have trained and helped the team.”

Will Rowlands says Wales will relish “going toe-to-toe” with a juggernaut France pack in Sunday’s Guinness Six Nations clash.

France have dropped way off last year’s standards, losing comprehensively at home to title favourites Ireland before scraping a draw with Italy after narrowly beating Scotland.

And while Les Bleus have claimed four successive Six Nations victories over Wales, no-one knows if they will suddenly find top gear in Cardiff this weekend or continue to struggle.

Their forwards will look to dominate, and Rowlands knows what is coming after linking up with French Top 14 club Racing 92 following the World Cup.

“They have got a big team, but I think you’ve seen in the last few years that French rugby is about much more than just a physical threat,” Wales lock Rowlands said.

“I think the physical side of it is something I think we will be looking forward to going toe-to-toe with. We’ve got a big team up-front, so bring it on.

“Rugby is much easier if you can get some go-forward. It’s a self-fulfilling circle.

“It is something we are working on. We are trying to bring our best game to allow us to have physically-dominant moments.

“They are a team rammed full of quality, and I see that in the league. If they get it right, there is no reason why we won’t see a French performance like we have seen in the last six months this weekend.”

Wales head coach Warren Gatland has made changes to the pack, with Rowlands handed a first start of the tournament after being on the bench for defeats against England and Ireland.

Elsewhere, captain Dafydd Jenkins moves from second-row to blindside flanker – a position he has never filled for club or country – and hooker Ryan Elias returns instead of Elliot Dee.

France are expected to show wholesale switches, with absentees including suspended centre Jonathan Danty and injured fly-half Matthieu Jalibert, but fit-again skipper Gregory Alldritt is back.

Rowlands is set to face some familiar faces from the French domestic game, and he added: “Playing club rugby there is an absolute joy.

“One of the things I have to say that has been really enjoyable for me to experience is how much passion there is for rugby in France.

“Wherever you go, the people are mad for it, and I think that is reflected when you see how much it means to the players when they play for their clubs and country.

“Everyone talks about the bit of a myth, which is the glitz and glamour of the ‘Racing Galacticos’, but I don’t think that is really the case.

“There are some really high-profile players, but there are also a lot of local French young guys who have a lot of talent. It is an exciting place to be.

“From a rugby point of view, I feel like playing in the French league for Racing has meant I’ve already had to develop parts of my game.

“I think going forward it will make me a much better player.”