Dusautoir back to lead France

Editor

Thierry Dusautoir will return for France in their final World Cup warm-up game against Scotland in Paris on Saturday.

The French skipper has been struggling with a knee injury after picking up a knock in training, missing both games against England as a result.

However he is now fit to return for les Bleus, and comes in as one of two changes from the team that beat England last time out.

He replaces Bernard le Roux in the back row, with the Racing flanker dropping down to the bench where he will provide second row cover.

Meanwhile the other change sees Yoann Maestri rested after starting both games against England and nursing a rib injury, replaced by Stade Français lock Alexandre Flanquart.

Elsewhere it's more or less a first string side, with Sébastien Tillous-Borde and Frédéric Michalak linking up once more in the half-backs.

There has been some change on the bench though compared to a fortnight ago, with Morgan Parra and Alexandre Dumoulin both included among the replacements, as are veteran front rowers Nicolas Mas and Dimitri Szarzewski.

Scotland hammered Italy 48-7 last weekend, with the French due to face the Azzurri in their World Cup opener.

France: 15 Scott Spedding, 14 Yoann Huget, 13 Mathieu Bastareaud, 12 Wesley Fofana, 11 Noa Nakaitaci, 10 Frédéric Michalak, 9 Sébastien Tillous-Borde, 8 Louis Picamoles, 7 Damien Chouly, 6 Thierry Dusautoir (c), 5 Alexandre Flanquart, 4 Pascal Papé (c), 3 Rabah Slimani, 2 Guilhem Guirado, 1 Eddy Ben Arous.
Replacements: 16 Dimitri Szarzewski, 17 Vincent Debaty, 18 Nicolas Mas, 19 Bernard le Roux, 20 Yannick Nyanga, 21 Morgan Parra, 22 Rémi Talès, 23 Alexandre Dumoulin.

Date: Saturday, September 5
Venue: Stade de France, Paris
Kick-off: 21:00 local (19:00 GMT)
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Assistant referees: JP Doyle (England), Luke Pearce (England)
Television match official: Graham Hughes (England)