Thierry Dusautoir will make his long-awaited return to France’s starting line-up after being named in the side to face Italy on Sunday.
The former captain of Les Bleus has not featured for Philippe Saint-André’s side since last year’s RBS 6 Nations, after being rested for the summer tour of Argentina before missing the November Tests with a knee injury.
rbs6nations
Now fit again, he will line up in the back row alongside Fulgence Ouedraogo and Louis Picamoles, who have both overcome injury concerns to make the team.
Saint-André has also gone for Toulouse back three player Yoann Huget to start at full-back, with Benjamin Fall and Wesley Fofana on the wings.
Maxime Machenaud is restored to the scrum-half role, ahead of Clermont’s Morgan Parra, while Frédéric Michalak will continue at fly-half.
Pascal Papé will captain the side, as he did in the autumn, but Saint-André admitted it was a boost to have Dusautoir back in the side again.
He said: “We know Thierry’s qualities, he’s a tackler and a battering ram. The French team will need his experience and his ferocity.”
FRANCE
15 Yoann Huget (Toulouse)
14 Wesley Fofana (Clermont)
13 Florian Fritz (Toulouse)
12 Maxime Mermoz (Toulon)
11 Benjamin Fall (Racing Metro)
10 Frederic Michalak (Toulon)
9 Maxime Machenaud (Racing Metro)
1 Yannick Forestier (Castres)
2 Dimitri Szarzewski (Racing Metro)
3 Nicolas Mas (Perpignan)
4 Yoann Maestri (Toulouse)
5 Pascal Papé (Stade Français) Captain
6 Fulgence Ouedraogo (Montpellier)
7 Thierry Dusautoir (Toulouse)
8 Louis Picamoles (Toulouse)
Replacements
16 Benjamin Kayser (Clermont)
17 Vincent Debaty (Clermont)
18 Luc Ducalcon (Racing Metro)
19 Romain Taofifenua (Perpignan)
20 Damien Chouly (Clermont)
21 Morgan Parra (Clermont)
22 François Trinh-Duc (Montpellier)
23 Mathieu Bastareaud (Toulon)