Toulouse full-back Maxime Medard will win his first international cap after being named in the France team to face Argentina in Marseille on Saturday.
The 21-year-old has been rewarded for his scintillating club form with Top 14 leaders Toulouse, which has seven other players named in the starting XV.
Coach Marc Lievremont plumped for David Skrela at outside-half over veteran Damien Traille in the absence through injury of both Lionel Beauxis and Francois Trinh-Duc.
The three-time capped Clermont centre Benoit Baby was named as Yannick Jauzion’s centre partner while Toulouse lock Romain Millo-Chluski will win his second cap after being preferred to Sebastien Chabal, named on the bench.
FRANCE (15-1)
Maxime Medard (Toulouse); Julien Malzieu (Clermont), Yannick Jauzion (Toulouse), Benoit Baby (Clermont), Cedric Heymans (Toulouse); David Skrela (Toulouse), Jean-Baptiste Elissalde (Toulouse); Imanol Harinordoquy (Biarritz), Louis Picamoles (Montpellier), Thierry Dusautoir (Toulouse); Lionel Nallet (Castres, capt), Romain Millo-Chluski (Toulouse); Benoit Lecouls (Toulouse), Dimitri Szarzewski (Stade Francais), Fabien Barcella (Biarritz)Replacements: Benjamin Kayser (Leicester/ENG), Nicolas Mas (Perpignan), Sebastien Chabal (Sale/ENG), Fulgence Ouedraogo (Montpellier), Morgan Parra (Bourgoin), Damien Traille (Biarritz), Alexis Palisson (Brive)
Benjamin
Guest
I'd have to see the Argentine team first Tah. Los Pumas (their emblem is actually a Jaguar) have beaten France the last 6/7 times they have played, I believe and Argentina can definitely win in France but they have been very, very poor under the stewardship of Phelan. If Argentina can get their full team out then who knows but this is one of the most balanced teams I have seen from France in a long time. Chabal is that stereotypical Frenchman. He can be as crazy as he wants but when his head goes down it goes down. Typical Latin temperemant I suppose.
True Tah
Guest
Benjamin, you confident Les Bleus will get up against Los Pumas? Agree that Chabal seems a bit overrated, he is a bit of a cult figure and he can hit hard, but no real ticker.
Benjamin
Guest
I think the French perception is that Chabal is a bit of a carthorse but without a work ethic to match. He is too small to lock but apparently not quick enough to connect the back row. No coach has ever really trusted him enough to give him a lengthy run in the side. With Bonnaire, Harinordoquy, Dusautoir, Nyanga and Ouedraogo the French selectors have tended to opt for the generic, lighter, more mobile lineout back rower, a sort of jack of all trades but master of none, as opposed to typical 6, 7 or 8s. Chabal is an echo of Cecillon and Juillet whereas I think the French have been chasing the Gaham Henry dream utility back rower.
Colin N
Guest
I don't get the French with how they use Sebastian Chabal. Either play him in his favourite position or don't play him at all. The scrum is severly weakened when Chabal plays at lock and with all the Georgians etc in the top 14, the front-row is hardly in great shakes at all.
Benjamin
Guest
This is the most exciting Les Bleus backline - Skrela aside - in years. Medard is a fascinating talent. The wings are potent and should form a good combination, especially as Heymans plays with Medard at Toulouse. Malzieu is the typical French wing: languid and svelte, whereas Heymans is a bullocking tank. He isn’t good under pressure but is a delightfully balanced runner from deep. He has a big left boot too and can alternate at 15 with Medard. Jauzion will offer as much as he always does. His offloading is supreme and his ability to stand up in the tackle will offer the back row an excellent target. Although he has lost a yard of pace he is still a gliding runner. Jauzion normally plays with Fritz but Lievremont has selected the more subtle talents of Baby. He tends to play at 15 for Clermont and so should be able to entice Malzieu into the midfield. Baby has a good kicking game and excellent distribution skills. His debut test for France was v Ireland in 2002 (?) but he managed to sour an excellent performance by headbutting O’Driscoll thus his temperament must be spot on. Skrela is somewhat pedestrian in comparison to his backline but that is perhaps a good thing. However he is easily ruffled but his last minute touchline kick against Bath suggests that his nerves have improved. As long as he can mix the play he won’t let anybody down. In any case Elissalde might take over kicking duties. Whilst a good player Elissalde has been playing either at 10 or behind Kelleher at Toulouse. His inclusion is slight risk.