The fixture is one of three that will be held at the CCB Centre for Sporting Excellence – training headquarters of the Dragons – with Scotland v England (12:00) and Ireland v Italy (17:00) also set to make it a memorable first day of the inaugural competition.
The action will then move to Cardiff Arms Park on Wednesday 4th April and Sunday 8th April, when Wales will take on Ireland and Italy respectively.
“There is a lot to look forward to for this group of players,” said Wales U18 head coach Chris Horsman. “We couldn’t ask for a bigger and more exciting challenge than France first up, and it’s definitely a fixture that will catch the interest of fans.
“These players are at the start of their rugby careers, so how they perform and react over the coming week or so will be crucial to their development in this sport.”
Part of the Wales U18 preparations this year has seen them spend time in Edinburgh: first in the form of two teams, the Celts and the Druids, who took on Scotland East and Scotland West at the Oriam sports performance centre; followed by a highly entertaining Wales v Scotland fixture at Murrayfield.
The criteria for the U18 Six Nations requires players to have been under the age of 18 as of January 1st 2018, meaning a number of players who featured against England in the recent pre-tournament friendly in Pontypridd are ineligible for the tournament.
Wales U18 team to face France
15 Harri Doel (Coleg Sir Gar/Scarlets Academy/Scarlets)
14 Louis Rees-Zammit (Hartpury College/Gloucester Academy/Exiles)
13 Osian Knott (Coleg Sir Gar/Carmarthen Quins/Scarlets)
12 Aneurin Owen (Ysgol Gyfun Gwynllyw/NHSOB/Dragons)
11 Frankie Jones (Neath Port Talbot College/Cwmafan/Ospreys)
10 Evan Lloyd (Coleg Gwent/Dragons Academy/Dragons)
9 Dafydd Buckland (Newport High/Rhymney/Dragons)
1 William Sanderson (Coleg Llandrillo/Wrexham/RGC)
2 Will Griffiths (Coleg Gwent/Cross Keys/Dragons)
3 Luke Yendle (Newport High/Senghenydd/Dragons)
4 Ben Carter (Newport High/Caldicot/Dragons)
5 Teddy Williams (Ysgol Glantaf/Cardiff Harlequins/Cardiff Blues)
6 Robert Brookson (Coleg Gwent/Pontypool United/Dragons)
7 Jac Morgan (Coleg Sir Gar/Carmarthen Athletic/Scarlets)
8 Carwyn Tuipulotu (Sedbergh School/Exiles)
Replacements
16 Cameron Lewis (Coleg Sir Gar/Swansea Uplands/Ospreys)
17 Callum Williams (Ysgol Maes y Gwendraeth/Tumble/Scarlets)
18 Archie Griffin (Marlborough College/Exiles)
19 Jac Price (Coleg Sir Gar/Carmarthen Quins/Scarlets)
20 Olly White (Llandovery College/Llandovery/RGC)
21 Ellis Bevan (Bryanston/Ampthill/Exiles)
22 Sam Costelow (Oakham School/Leicester Tigers/Exiles)
23 Joe Roberts (Coleg Sir Gar/Burry Port/Scarlets)
24 Ioan Davies (Coleg y Cymoedd/Merthyr/Cardiff Blues)
25 Josh Thomas (Ysgol Gyfun Gwyr/Pontarddulais/Ospreys)
26 Ioan Lloyd (Clifton College/Exiles)
Saturday 31st March, CCB Centre for Sporting Excellence, Ystrad Mynach
12:00: Scotland v England
14:30: Wales v France
17:00: Ireland v Italy
Wednesday 4th April, Cardiff Arms Park
12:00: Italy v England
14.30: Ireland v Wales
17:00: France v Scotland
Sunday 8th April, Cardiff Arms Park
12:00: Ireland v Scotland
14:30: Italy v Wales
17:00: France v England
Tickets for each matchday are £5 adults, U16s go free (maximum 2 free tickets per paying adult). Tickets for Matchday 1 are on sale now at Ystrad Mynach CSE and by calling 01443 864767. Tickets for Matchdays 2 and 3 will only be available on the gate on matchday. The U18 Six Nations festival will not be shown on television or live streamed.
