Coach Fabien Galthié has overhauled France’s front row to face Japan on Saturday, while injury forces a back-row change to go with a potential debut at halfback.
Galthié said on Thursday that he was “not completely satisfied” with Les Bleus’ scrum as he named his match 23 for the Nations Championship clash in Tokyo.
France blew the Wallabies away 42-26 last week in Brisbane, but Galthié has shaken up his pack for Saturday’s game, bringing in Regis Montagne, Maxime Lamothe and Jefferson Poirot.
Alexandre Roumat replaces the injured Oscar Jegou in the back row in the only other change to the starting lineup, with scrumhalf Paul Graou in line to make his first Test appearance from the bench.
Galthié said there were two reasons for the revamped front row.
“The first is that we’re not completely satisfied with the performance of our scrum. We want to be more effective in that area,” he said.
“The second is that we’ve brought seven props – four tightheads and three looseheads – and we need to get them onto the field, help them improve, find cohesion and help them grow.”
Demba Bamba, Peato Mauvaka and Moses Alo-Emile drop out of the team that started against Australia.
TEAM: Eddie beefs up pack for France
Japan, coached by Eddie Jones, have also named a completely changed front row for a match expected to be played in steamy conditions in Tokyo, with high humidity and high temperatures.
Galthié said France were “trying to develop potential” among their front-row players.
“The first quality of a prop is first and foremost his performance in the scrum, and then everything else is a bonus,” he said.
Jegou was ruled out after sustaining a shoulder injury against the Wallabies. Roumat comes in for his first Test appearance since February 2025 and will win his 11th cap.
Graou, the son of former France international Stephane Graou, was named on the bench after an impressive club season deputising for Antoine Dupont at Toulouse.
“Over these last seasons, Antoine has played less or sometimes not at all, and it’s Paul who has played the matches,” said Galthié. “We’ve seen match after match that he’s developing, that he’s performing.”
FRANCE – 15 Matthieu Jalibert, 14 Theo Attissogbe, 13 Fabien Brau-Boirie, 12 Yoram Moefana, 11 Aaron Grandidier-Nkakang, 10 Romain Ntamack, 9 Maxime Lucu (c), 8 Alexandre Roumat, 7 Marko Gazzotti, 6 Lenni Nouchi, 5 Emmanuel Meafou, 4 Florian Verhaeghe, 3 Regis Montagne, 2 Maxime Lamothe, 1 Jefferson Poirot.
Bench: 16 Peato Mauvaka, 17 Reda Wardi, 18 Sipili Falatea, 19 Hugo Auradou, 20 Tom Staniforth, 21 Killian Tixeront, 22 Paul Graou, 23 Kalvin Gourgues.
– AFP
Photo: Xavier Laine/Getty Images
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Coach Fabien Galthié has overhauled France’s front row to face Japan on Saturday, while injury forces a back-row change to go with a potential debut at halfback.
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