France coach Guy Noves opts for Francois Trinh-Duc and Maxime Machenaud as half-back pairing
Thursday 10 November 2016 18:09, UK
France coach Guy Noves has opted to pair Francois Trinh-Duc and Maxime Machenaud at half-back for Saturday's one-off Test against Samoa.
Yoann Huget will make his return for Les Bleus after a year on the sidelines, with Jean-Marc Doussain on the bench alongside promising scrum-half Baptiste Serin.
With rain expected for the match at Toulouse's Municipal Stadium, Machenaud was preferred for his physical presence, while the 55-time capped Trinh-Duc was picked after impressing in the summer tour of Argentina, against whom the second Test was won 27-0.
"He's maybe a little more mature than Baptiste," Noves said of Racing 92's Machenaud.
"He wasn't in Argentina because he was playing the Top 14 finals with his club, but it seemed logical to offer him the chance to start this season.
"He had a perfect attitude and performed very well during last season's Six Nations and had an excellent season with his club."
On the wing, Huget returns after suffering a serious knee injury in France's opening World Cup match against Italy.
He completes a back three also including Fiji-born Virimi Vakatawa and South African-born full-back Scott Spedding.
A third foreign-born player, New Zealander Uini Atonio, was named at prop next to captain and hooker Guilhem Guirado and Jefferson Poirot.
Julien Le Devedec accompanies veteran Yoann Maestri in the second row, while in-form Northampton No 8 Louis Picamoles is flanked by Loann Goujon and Kevin Gourdon.
Clermont midfield duo Remi Lamerat and Wesley Fofana complete the line-up as Noves underlined his confidence in the bulk of players who toured Argentina.
"We're trying to work in a continuous manner," he added.
"Those players (present in Argentina) made efforts, it's normal to reward them, to show them this confidence they showed us is a two-way thing."
Bristol winger David Lemi will captain Samoa's side which features five players plying their trade in France.
Giant prop Census Johnston and winger Paul Perez will be playing on "home" soil in Toulouse, while prop Sakaria Taulafo and full-back Paul Williams both play for Top 14 rivals Stade Francais and No 8 Genesis Mamea-Lemalu for ProD2 team Perpignan.
Chris Vui will make his debut in the second-row while Bath scrum-half Kahn Fotuali'i makes his return, playing inside Patrick Faapale, who stars in the Italian first division.
France:
15 Scott Spedding, 14 Yoann Huget, 13 Remi Lamerat, 12 Wesley Fofana, 11 Virimi Vakatawa, 10 Francois Trinh-Duc, 9 Maxime Machenaud; 1 Jefferson Poirot, 2 Guilhem Guirado (c), 3 Uini Atonio, 4 Julien Le Devedec, 5 Yoann Maestri, 6 Kevin Gourdon, 7 Loann Goujon, 8 Louis Picamoles
Replacements:
16 Camille Chat, 17 Cyril Baille, 18 Rabah Slimani, 19 Sebastien Vahaamahina, 20 Charles Ollivon, 21 Baptiste Serin, 22 Jean-Marc Doussain, 23 Gael Fickou
Samoa:
15 Paul Williams, 14 Paul Perez, 13 George Pisi, 12 Reynold Lee-Lo, 11 David Lemi (capt), 10 Patrick Fa'apale, 9 Kahn Fotuali'i; 1 Sakaria Taulafo, 2 Manu Leaiataua, 3 Census Johnston, 4 Chris Vui, 5 Teofilo Paulo, 6 Alafoti Fa'oosiliva, 7 Genesis Mamea-Lemalu, 8 Jack Lam
Replacements:
16 Elia Elia, 17 Logovi'i Mulipola, 18 Anthony Perenise, 19 Jeff Lepa, 20 Greg Foe, 21 Peleifofoga Cowley, 22 Alapati Leuila, 23 Ken Pisi
