France v Argentina: Teams

Toulouse full-back Maxime Medard will make his international debut for France after being named in the side to face Argentina on Saturday.

21-year-old Medard has been selected by coach Marc Lievremont for the game in Marseille and he is one of eight Toulouse players in the squad.

Medard has been in great form for the Top 14 leaders and they have provided the spine of Lievremont's squad to take on the Pumas.

Apart from debutant Medard, Lievremont has selected an experienced squad, and has opted to go with David Skrela at fly-half ahead of veteran Damien Traille with both Lionel Beauxis and Francois Trinh-Duc out injured.

Skrela plays alongside Jean-Baptiste Elissalde, with Cedric Heymans on the right wing and Clermont's Benoit Baby partnering Yannick Jauzion at centre.

Imanol Harinordoquy comes in for Fulgence Ouedraogo at flanker while Toulouse lock Romain Millo-Chluski wins a second cap at the expense of Sebastien Chabal, who has been named on the bench.

Puma available

Prop Rodrigo Roncero has been included in the Argentina team after appealing against a 30-day ban by the French league.

Stade Francais's Roncero was suspended for punching Toulouse's French international flanker Thierry Dusautoir of France during a league game last month.

The French league have later revealed that Roncero is eligible to play because he had appealed.

The match will be the first between the two teams since the Pumas thrashed France 34-10 in the third-place play-off at the 2007 World Cup.

Argentina coach Santiago Phelan said: "Both teams have changed their staff, their players and undoubtedly their game. Just like France, we are rebuilding.

"We want to ignore the past, just focus on what is ahead of us. However, we want to keep the spirit we had during this World Cup."

France, who also lost their World Cup opener 17-12 to the Pumas, have not beaten Argentina since a 27-26 win in a test in 2006.

France: 15-Maxime Medard, 14-Julien Malzieu, 13-Yannick Jauzion, 12-Benoit Baby, 11-Cedric Heymans, 10-David Skrela, 9-Jean-Baptiste Elissalde, 8-Louis Picamoles, 7-Imanol Harinordoquy, 6-Thierry Dusautoir, 5-Lionel Nallet (captain), 4-Romain Millo-Chluski, 3-Benoit Lecouls, 2-Dimitri Szarzewski, 1-Fabien Barcella.
Replacements: 16-Benjamin Kayser, 17-Nicolas Mas, 18-Sebastien Chabal, 19-Fulgence Ouedraogo, 20-Morgan Parra, 21-Damien Traille, 22-Alexis Palisson.

Argentina team: 15 Bernardo Stortoni, 14 Francisco Leonelli, 13 Gonzalo Tiesi, 12 Felipe Contepomi, 11 Horacio Agulla, 10 Juan Martin Hernandez, 9 Nicolas Vergallo; 8 Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe, 7 Alvaro Galindo, 6 Martin Durand, 5 Patricio Albacete, 4 Rimas Alvarez-Kairelis, 3 Juan Pablo Orlandi, 2 Mario Ledesma, 1 Rodrigo Roncero.
Replacements: 16 Alberto Vernet Basualdo, 17 Marcos Ayerza, 18 Esteban Lozada, 19 Alejandro Campos, 20 Agustin Figuerola, 21 Federico Martin Aramburu, 22 Rafael Carballo.