FRANCE COACH PHILIPPE Saint-Andre has made six changes to the squad that lost 24-22 to England in the Six Nations on Sunday.
The loss effectively ended France’s title push with their goal now to end Wales’ hopes of attaining the Grand Slam when the sides meet in Cardiff on Saturday. Of Saint-Andre’s six changes the most notable is that of 19-year-old Clermont back Jean-Marcellin Buttin, who has been called up for the first time.
Saint-Andre also reacted to the England loss by bringing in Julien Pierre, Fulgence Ouedraogo, Dimitri Yachvili, Alexis Palisson and Florian Fritz. Julien Dupuy, Maxime Mermoz, Julien Malzieu and Lionel Nallet have been omitted while Vincent Clerc misses out with a shoulder injury.
The final squad could yet change given there are injury doubts clouding Thierry Dusautoir (knee), Imanol Harinordoquy (knee) and Julien Bonnaire (elbow).
France: Forwards – J Poux (Toulouse), N Mas (Perpignan), V Debaty (Clermont), D Attoub (Stade Francais), D Szarzewski (Stade Francais), W Servat (Toulouse), P Pape (Stade Francais), Y Maestri (Toulouse), J Pierre (Clermont), T Dusautoir (Toulouse, captain), F Ouedraogo (Montpellier), J Bonnaire (Clermont), I Harinordoquy (Biarritz), L Picamoles (Toulouse).
