France have named four debutants for their Six Nations opener against Italy
Friday 5 February 2016 11:00, UK
New France coach Guy Noves has named four uncapped players in the side to host Italy in the Six Nations curtain-raiser on Saturday.
Experienced former Toulouse coach Noves took charge following the World Cup and will give first starts to Fiji-born winger Virimi Vakatawa, previously with the France sevens team and Racing 92, Toulouse scrum-half Sebastien Bezy, Clermont lock Paul Jedrasiak and Stade Francais centre Jonathan Danty.
And the selection of Vakatawa will surely be considered something of a gamble, considering he has not player any 15-man rugby since 2013 and is not contracted to a team.
There are also three potential debutants on the replacements bench in the form of Racing hooker Camille Chat, Bordeaux-Begles prop Jefferson Poirot and Toulouse flanker Yacouba Camara.
Saturday's match will be France's first international since they were thrashed 62-13 by the All Blacks in the World Cup quarter-final last autumn.
Only five players remain from the starters that night, including the front row of Rabah Slimani, Guilhem Guirado and Eddy Ben Arous.
Toulon hooker Guirado takes over as captain, following the international retirement of Thierry Dusautoir, while new boy Jedrasiak will join Yoann Maestri in the second row.
Flanker Wenceslas Lauret has been in good form for Racing and will link up with No 8 Louis Picamoles and Damien Chouly in the back-row.
At half-back, Bezy has been rewarded for his fine displays for Toulouse and he will be partnered by fly-half Jules Plisson, who missed the World Cup due to injury.
Danty and Gael Fickou will combine at centre, with Vakatawa on one wing and Hugo Bonneval on the other, and Maxime Medard at full-back.
Vakatawa is a huge threat with the ball in hand but the 23-year-old's defensive abilities are certain to be questioned.
But Noves, who turns 62 on Friday, is upbeat about the winger's chances of adapting.
"We don't have guarantees with any player," said Noves. "We prefer to see them in real conditions, rather than wait without giving them a chance.
"What has pleased us is his keenness, it's the fact that he has signed up for the gameplan."
France: 15 Maxime Medard, 14 Hugo Bonneval, 13 Gael Fickou, 12 Jonathan Danty, 11 Virimi Vakatawa, 10 Jules Plisson, 9 Sebastien Bezy; 1 Eddy Ben Arous, 2 Guilhem Guirado (c), 3 Rabah Slimani, 4 Paul Jedrasiak, 5 Yoann Maestri, 6 Wenceslas Lauret, 7 Damien Chouly, 8 Louis Picamoles.
Replacements: 16 Camille Chat, 17 Uini Atonio, 18 Jefferson Poirot, 19 Alexandre Flanquart, 20 Yacouba Camara, 21 Maxime Machenaud, 22 Jean-Marc Doussain, 23 Maxime Mermoz.
