Dragons community captain prop Lott, who leads the side for the third time said, “For all the players involved in the Welsh Clubs XV, it is really something special to be able to put on a Wales shirt and represent your country.
“We all work hard outside of rugby and train hard during the week to get to where we are now which is playing in an international rugby match. The Welsh Clubs XV is a new concept but it gives players at club level something to strive towards.
“There’s a good spirit that’s been built up over the past couple of months and as you can imagine we are all looking forward to facing the French tomorrow night.”
WRU Group Chief Executive Roger Lewis will get his first taste of international rugby in his new post after being delighted to accept an invitation to attend Friday’s historic first home fixture.
“If Saturday’s game against Australia at the Millennium Stadium will all be about business, my Friday night trip to Caerphilly will be mostly about pleasure,” said Lewis, who took up his post with the Union on Monday.
“I’ll be attending as an ardent Welsh rugby fan and will be supporting my country in this exciting new venture. The Community Game is vitally important to the WRU, and the nation as a whole, and this new team needs all the help and support it can get.
“That’s why David Pickering, the WRU chairman, and I will both be heading to Caerphilly to watch the team in action. They performed very creditably on their first two outings in Liege, Belgium in August and I know having spoken to the coach Gerry Roberts that every player is thrilled to be representing their country on home soil.
“The French will pose a huge challenge, so the more fans who come and join us at Virginia Park the better.”
The Welsh Clubs XV side is made up of players aged 25 and under from ASDA Leagues Division 1-5 who represent their regions in the WRU Regional Community Championship. They went down 25-7 to Spain and then 28-17 to France Amateurs in their summer competition debut.
Welsh Clubs XV:
Andrew Banfield (Loughor, Ospreys), Matthew Jacobs (Llangennech, Scarlets), Darren Humphries (Bargoed, Dragons), Peter Smriglia (Loughor, Ospreys), Thomas Bonnell (Trimsaran, Scarlets), Jamie Howells (Bargoed, Dragons), Rhodri Jones (Garndiffaith, Dragons), Ross Jones (Bargoed, Dragons), Leigh Meads (Bargoed, Dragons), Anthony Lott (Bargoed, Dragons, captain), Chris James (Narberth, Scarlets), Gareth Gore (Carmarthen Quins, Scarlets), Geraint Turner (Abercynon, Blues), Andrew Packer (Newport Saracens, Dragons), Lewis Woods (Narberth, Scarlets)
Replacements: Owen Cotton (Ynysybwl, Blues), Mark Jones (Pontyberem, Scarlets), James Bannister (Llanelli Wanderers, Scarlets), Lee Williams (Newport Saracens, Dragons), Paul Rees (Felinfoel, Scarlets), Phil Tucker (Penclawdd, Ospreys), Nathan Gittins (Merthyr Tydfil, Blues)
France squad:
BERHABE Thierry Berhabe(Béarn) Oloron, RIVIER Christophe (Provence) Aix, TACHELLA Pierre (Provence) Nîmes, BARDES David (Roussillon) Céret, BOUEILH Sébastien (Côte Basque Landes) St Paul les Dax, RAMON Cédric (Armagnac Bigorre) Fleurance, COURTEIX David (Auvergne) Aurillac, GROTTI Alban (Centre) Tours, RYSMAN Romain (Midi Pyrénées) Cahors, DUSSAUT Olivier (Provence) Nîmes
SABATHIER Fabien (Roussillon) Argelès, SERNA Etienne (Béarn) Aramits Asasp, ESPATOLERO Franck (Côte Basque Landes) St Paul les Dax, DUNYACH Guy (Roussillon) Argelès, PAQUET Jean Baptiste (Bourgogne) Châlon sur Saône, LABROUCHE Philippe (Côte Basque Landes) St Jean de Luz, MERET Julien (Ile de France) Bobigny, GAU Sébastien (Ile de France) Domont, GERVAIS Stéphane (Auvergne) Montluçon, MARQUE David (Armagnac Bigorre) Lannemezan, BAZANI Pascal (Côte d’Azur) La Seyne, SAVRE Thomas (Bourgogne) Dijon
