France coach Fabien Galthie has recalled two hulking locks for Sunday’s Six Nations clash against Italy in Paris.
Galthie has opted to start Thibaud Flament and Emmanuel Meafou ahead of Mickael Guillard and Charles Ollivon who had been the starting second row for France’s first two matches – thumping victories against Ireland and Wales.
However, the France coach has opted for more bulk against the Azzurri’s hefty pack.
Both Guillard and Ollivon play more commonly in the back row rather than the engine room and are more mobile than Flament and Meafou. They will start on the bench.
Flament, 27, missed France’s opening 36-14 victory over Ireland as he was accompanying his wife in her fertility treatment but returned to start on the bench alongside Meafou against Wales.
WALES vs SCOTLAND: Three key areas
The rest of the starting XV named on Friday remains the same as the team that romped to a 54-12 victory in Cardiff last weekend.
Thus Pau centre pair Emilien Gailleton and Fabien Brau-Boirie – try-scorers against Wales – retain their places with Bordeaux Begles duo Nicolas Depoortere and Yoram Moefana still sidelined.
On the bench, hooker Peato Mauvaka comes in for Maxime Lamothe, prop Georges-Henri Colombe replaces Regis Montagne and centre Pierre-Louis Barassi is given the nod over Noah Nene.
FRANCE – 15 Thomas Ramos, 14 Theo Attissogbe, 13 Emilien Gailleton, 12 Fabien Brau-Boirie, 11 Louis Bielle-Biarrey, 10 Matthieu Jalibert, 9 Antoine Dupont (capt), 8 Anthony Jelonch, 7 Oscar Jegou, 6 Francois Cros, 5 Emmanuel Meafou, 4 Thibaud Flament, 3 Dorian Aldegheri, 2 Julien Marchand, 1 Jean-Baptiste Gros.
Bench: 16 Maxime Lamothe, 17 Rodrigue Neti, 18 Regis Montagne, 19 Charles Ollivon, 20 Mickael Guillard, 21 Lenni Nouchi, 22 Baptiste Serin, 23 Noah Nene.
– AFP
Photo: Franco Arland/Getty Images
The post France beef up pack for Italy clash appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
France coach Fabien Galthie has recalled two hulking locks for Sunday’s Six Nations clash against Italy in Paris.
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