France will rely on a heavyweight backrow to try and contain world champions South Africa in their Test in Toulouse on Friday.
www.sport24.co.za.
Kick-off is at 21:45 SA time.
Regular No 8 Imanol Harinordoquy has been switched to blindside flank with Louis Picamoles packing into the back of the scrum and captain Thierry Dusautoir starting at openside flank.
“We picked a backrow that offers a lot of guarantees in terms of power and experience,” coach Marc Lievremont told a news conference at the team’s training camp in Marcoussis on Monday.
Asked if he had considered selecting Sebastien Chabal in the backrow, the French coach answered with a blunt “no” before adding: “Even if he his less explosive than Chabal, Picamoles has proved his worth in terms of power.”
Lievremont kept faith with Julien Dupuy, the former Leicester scrumhalf now with Stade Francais, and flyhalf Francois Trinh-Duc, who both played in France’s 27-22 win over New Zealand in June, but re-jigged other parts of the backline. Damien Traille was moved from centre to fullback to counter the aggressive field kicking of the Springboks.
Traille’s move allowed for the selection of the youthful centre pairing of Maxime Mermoz, a 23-year-old with four Test caps, and 21-year-old Yann David, who will earn his second cap.
“Maxime is the in-form centre of the French championship but we had a long discussion before selecting Yann ahead of David Marty who is Mermoz’s team-mate with Perpignan,” Lievremont said.
“We went for the robustness of David because we think power will be important against the Springboks.”
France:
15-Damien Traille, 14-Vincent Clerc, 13-Yann David, 12-Maxime Mermoz, 11-Cedric Heymans, 10-Francois Trinh-Duc, 9-Julien Dupuy, 8-Louis Picamoles, 7-Imanol Harinordoquy, 6-Thierry Dusautoir (captain), 5-Romain Millo-Chluski, 4-Lionel Nallet, 3-Nicolas Mas, 2-William Servat, 1-Fabien Barcella
Replacements: 16-Dimitri Szarzewski, 17-Sylvain Marconnet, 18-Sebastien Chabal, 19-Julien Bonnaire, 20-Morgan Parra, 21-David Marty, 22-Maxime Medard
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I’m still upset about this not being shown on UK tv. 👿
@McLovin (Comment 1) : doesn’t look like it’s even on RugbyZone
@McLovin (Comment 1) : it’s on ESPN. You got that?
France and Italy games are on ESPN and the Ireland one is on BBC
@robdylan (Comment 3) : Thanks. Don’t think I’ve got ESPN. O well…
@McLovin (Comment 4) : me neither. Bloody ridiculous setup.
@robdylan (Comment 5) : indeedy-ho. Not even on RSG.
However if all else fails I might just tune in to RSG for the following:
Susters en Skandes
Bettie Kemp
Deel in die lief en leed van twee susters, Magdaleen en Rika, wat ‘n lewe op die platteland voer met hulle gesinne. Daar’s ook Bertus, die dorp se pierewaaier en sogenaamde kunskenner en Babsie, Magdaleen se liewe nuuskierige, bemoeisieke buurvrou. In so ‘n dorp is jou besigheid almal se besigheid, of jy nou daarvan hou of nie. En so ontstaan die skinnerstories en die skandes.
🙄 😆
@McLovin (Comment 7) : sounds like Joost is bound to make a guest appearance at some point…
@robdylan (Comment 8) : and he won’t admit it was his voice until he wants/needs you to buy his book. 😈
Instead of backing their players (and record winning coach) the SA media is again questioning the possible selection of Adi Jacobs at 12.
The guy apparently doesn’t know how to tackle. 🙄
Here we go again…
@McLovin (Comment 9) : Newspaper comments today” Jake white taught Joost well: how to be a good scrum half and now most of all how to sell a book’
No Michelak…. ❓
Whats happened to the guy??
@GI Ice (Bulletproof) (Comment 12) : He played for the sharks 🙄 😆
Morning all, Boks by 20!
Approve my pic please
@Worcestershire Sauce (Comment 13) :
Pffft!! 😉
@wpw (Comment 10) : Ja, it’s still a myth
When is the Bok team announced???…..although you can pretty much name the 15 because they all still in SA 🙄
Would like to know anyway and see who’s on the bench.
@Pokkel (Comment 18) :
According to reports Adi will start at 12 and Kirchner at 15. 😐
@McLovin (Comment 1) :
Setanta US isn’t carrying it either 😥
Charlton and I were really looking forward to watching this game. Well he was at least looking forward to at least hearing the national anthems as he still hasn’t managed to stay awake for a full game as he has no patience for half time and falls asleep.
I am very far away from being a fan of Marc Lievremont as I feel he’s made a bunch of ass backwards selection decisions since taking the reigns from crazy Bernie but I will admit that the past two international teams he’s put together that he is improving.
Of course, I would have liked to see Fred in the game day 22 and I know Fred was excited as well at the prospect of playing the Boks and some of his Shark teamates but noooo ML had to mess it all up.
I’m not entirely sold at putting Traille at 15 over Medard. However, the selfish side of me says with Medard on the bench it keeps him from getting hurt as he is crucial to Toulouse’s Top14 and Hcup campaigns. Of course I feel the same in regards to the rest of the guys from Toulouse in the squad as well.