France coach Philippe Saint-André has named Yoann Huget at full-back and Maxime Machenaud at scrum-half in his team to face Italy on Sunday.
There are five changes to the starting XV that beat Samoa in November, as Benjamin Fall replaces the injured Vincent Clerc on the left wing and Huget takes over from Brice Dulin, who has been ruled out of the Six Nations, at full-back. It is Huget's first cap in the number 15 jersey for France.
Morgan Parra is relegated to the bench in favour of Machenaud.
The presence of Wesley Fofana on the right wing and Mathieu Bastareaud on the bench means there are four centres in the matchday 23, but no specialist replacement for the back three on the bench.
In the pack, Thierry Dusautoir returns on the flank with Toulouse team-mate Yannick Nyanga sent back his club. Up front, Yannick Forestier starts with Luc Ducalcon on the bench. There is no place for Thomas Domingo.
Saint-André said the toughest choice had been in the back row.
"We did have a debate over what was our best options in the back row. Fulgence was impressive in the line-outs in November and we wanted to see where he was with his (injured) ankle," he said.
"[In the centres] I wasn't tempted to pivk a 10-12-13 from the same club (Ed: Toulon). Mathieu Bastareaud showed a lot of power. He can bring a lot in the last half-hour."
France:15 Yoann Huget, 14 Wesley Fofana, 13 Florian Fritz, 12 Maxime Mermoz, 11 Benjamin Fall, 10 Frederic Michalak, 9 Maxime Machenaud, 8 Louis Picamoles, 7 Fulgence Ouedraogo, 6 Thierry Dusautoir, 5 Yoann Maestri, 4 Pascal Papé (c), 3 Nicolas Mas, 2 Dimitri Szarzewski, 1 Yannick Forestier
Replacements: 16 Benjamin Kayser, 17 Vincent Debaty, 18 Luc Ducalcon, 19 Romain Taofifenua, 20 Damien Chouly, 21 Morgan Parra, 22 Francois Trinh-Duc, 23 Mathieu Bastareaud
Date: Sunday, February 3:
Venue: Stadio Olimpico
Kick-off: 14.30 local (13.30 GMT)
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Comments
KiwiRooster says...
I totally agree with PR when they suggest Saint-André is playing with fire on the bench.
Huget at fullback does not bother me as much as Fofana or Fall on the wing. I believe to remember Huget playing at fullback from time to time for Stade Toulousain, he is good in the air and has greatly improve his technique since his very first selection (under Lièvremont) against the Wallabies, in that rather infamous Paris game.
What really bothers me though is that Huget never had a proper chance on the right wing, where he is best at. Dulin was France best chance at fullback by far, but Médard and Buttin are also both specialist, Médard being one of the few proper utility player. (fullback and left winger) Saint-André is not making his team any service by moving players out of position, for what seems to be his best Bernard Laporte's impression.
O'Connor was THE obvious choice to me on the left wing. For those who have not watched him play: he is the next Cédric Heymans.
For Saint-André, the logical choice should have been:
O'Connor (11) Fofana (12) Fritz (13) Huget (14) and Médard or Buttin (15)
I found Benjamin Fall to be pretty anonymous for the past two years and although he may just reveal himself in this Six Nations, I just cannot see that happening.
What about the pair of centres Saint-André has picked: Mermoz/Fritz. They have played together a while ago for Stade Toulousain so this choice is not shocking per se, but it is not the one an international coach will think about in first place when blessed with the most elusive centre that is Fofana.
Worst of all from Saint-André's rather disturbing mindset: François Trinh-Duc. FTD is said to play at fullback as a "utility" player. (...) French coach have no idea whatsoever on what attributes define a "utility" player. Traille at 10 or 15, anyone? Short memory could be costly. Enough said.
Posted 14:47 03rd February 2013
KiwiRooster says...
@lyhel Machenaud "has yet to be tested under pressure", really? So to you, the Pumas and Wallabies flankers are a soft and easy task to cope with. That's a strange view on international rugby.
I totally agree with mlbp, Machenaud is in line with the best scrum-halves in the World in my view. Physical in the rucks, fast out the starting blocks, great passer of the ball, very intuitive with an accute reading of the game, with a descent foot kick. He will still progress but for now, he brings a lot more pace than Parra at 9.
What Parra brings is a hell of a good kick between the posts. But his passing is only average to poor (hence the unability for Trinh-Duc to replicate with France the form we know he is capable of in club rugby), his lack of physicality often cost momentum and while raising your arms up in the air to signal the referee is often necessary, a great scrum-half must also be capable of dicting his rules. And he sometimes manage to bring that momentum like he did in the first H-Cup game against Leinster. Only at Clermont, Parra has one if not the best fly-half in the French championship (Brock James) on his side.
When Clermont brings speed to their game, it rarely comes from their 9, more often from the centres and wingers who both have an exceptional ability to bring pace out of the blue. Fofana is a livewire at centre whereas he has very little influence on the wing. No need to present Sivivatu, Stanley, Rougerie and Nalaga. Flanker-wise Bonnaire (European Player of the Year for me) and Vosloo are among the most daring in World rugby. Parra is literally surrounded by class. Machenaud just does not have that luxury at Racing Métro.
Yesterday against Scotland, Ben Youngs and Danny Care brought just that to the English attacking line: tremendous momentum. Scotland never was given a chance to regroup defensively. And that's precisely a scrum-half job.
Posted 14:19 03rd February 2013
Iyhel says...
@mlbp: "I like Machenaud, he sparks the line and he is fast. Parra tends to slow things down too much." Like any scrum half, Parra is only as fast as the ball he gets from his pack is clean... When he plays for Clermont he's fast enough! As I said below the preview article, Machenaud has yet to be tested under pressure - however I don't know if that will happen on Sunday.
@deprop: well PSA is no better it seems ;) (please note that overall I had no problem with Liévremont's selections)
Posted 09:54 02nd February 2013
mlbp says...
I nailed it! This was what I considered on my previous post as the likely squad... Maybe I should apply for the post of French coach... But I liked my experimental line up best...
Forestier, Szarzewski, Mas, Maestri, Pape, Chouly, Ouedraogo, Picamoles, Machenaud, Michalak, Fall, Fofana, Bastareaud, Huget, Trinh-Duc
I wasn't too sure about Trinh-Duc as 15, though, but what could you do without a specialist full back in the squad... PSA says he can cover that position and he tried it on as a replacement in November. Expect lots of changes if the match goes favourably for France. I like Machenaud, he sparks the line and he is fast. Parra tends to slow things down too much.
Posted 15:57 01st February 2013
Spartacus says...
Parra dropped? I presume this is to give Machenaud a run out against Italy. Plenty of very good players there, but too many out of position or on the bench.
Posted 13:55 01st February 2013
deprop says...
Lievrement used to be irrational.....
Posted 11:44 01st February 2013
Iyhel says...
Err... I usually do not comment on selections as I'm in no position to know better than the coach but this is a really strange team - indeed a strange 23.
Saint-André bemoans injuries but keeps no one to properly cover the back three! And there is no great tactical kicker among them, only runners.
At least this should force them to keep the ball in hand and push for tries...
And if ever someone dares tell me again that Liévremont used to be irrationnal...
Posted 09:53 01st February 2013