Philippe Saint-Andre

France coach Phillippe Saint-Andre has dropped some last weekends under-performers against Ireland, for their quarterfinal meeting against New Zealand on Saturday.

Saint-Andre has made 3 changes in total to his side. Morgan Parra takes the place of discarded scrumhalf Sebastien Tillous-Borde and Mathieu Bastareaud and Damien Chouly also drops to the bench.

Centre Alexandre Dumoulin takes Bastareaud’s place in the backline while South Africa-born flanker Bernard le Roux is preferred to Chouly in the loose forwards for the crunch match at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium.

Scrumhalf Tillous-Borde misses out on the matchday-23 altogether as South African-born Rory Kockott has been named on the replacement bench as backup scrumhalf.

“Against New Zealand we know that if we want to win we need to play on the front foot,” Saint-Andre said.

“We know that if we don’t play well we are back home on Sunday with our head on the floor.”

It will be only the 3rd time Parra has linked up with flyhalf Frederic Michalak, who will retain kicking duties.

“Morgan starts, he’s a big competitor. We’ve decided to start him and we’re counting on his leadership skills, especially with the forwards,” said Saint-Andre, still smarting from last weekend’s comprehensive 9 / 24 defeat by Ireland.

“I expect 1st we get more ball than last week, because the set piece wasn’t good.

“We need more ball and to use it and play rugby. Last week, we were 70% in defence and only 30% in attack.”

Kockott, the coach added, was a handy “match-winner” to have on the bench, which he said had not performed as he had wanted against Ireland.

Despite Chouly being on the bench, Yannick Nyanga was also named in the matchday-23 as cover in a more dynamic option.

There is no specialist lock among the 8 replacements, with hooker Dimitri Szarzewski taking the place of Benjamin Kayser and Vincent Debaty and Nicolas Mas providing extra front row cover. Chouly replaces Alexandre Flanquart in the replacements.

The back 3 remains the same, with Brice Dulin and Fiji-born Noa Nakaitaci on the wings in front of fullback Scott Spedding, a 3rd member of the squad born in South Africa and assigned the long-range kicking duties.

No 8 Louis Picamoles partners Le Roux and captain Thierry Dusautoir in the loose forwards. The front 5 remains unchanged, Yoann Maestri and Pascal Pape in the boiler house with Rabah Slimani, Guilhem Guirado and Eddy Ben Arous forming the front row.

France: 15 Scott Spedding, 14 Noa Nakaitaci, 13 Alexandre Dumoulin, 12 Wesley Fofana, 11 Brice Dulin, 10 Frederic Michalak, 9 Morgan Parra, 8 Louis Picamoles, 7 Bernard le Roux, 6 Thierry Dusautoir (Captain), 5 Yoann Maestri, 4 Pascal Pape, 3 Rabah Slimani, 2 Guilhem Guirado, 1 Eddy Ben Arous
Replacements: 16 Dimitri Szarzewski, 17 Vincent Debaty, 18 Nicolas Mas, 19 Damien Chouly, 20 Yannick Nyanga, 21 Rory Kockott, 22 Remi Tales, 23 Mathieu Bastareaud.

Date: Saturday 17 October
Venue: Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
Kick-Off: 21:00 SA Time (21:00 France Time, 20:00 UK Time, 19:00 GMT, Sunday 08:00 NZ Time)
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Assistant Referees: Jaco Peyper (South Africa), John Lacey (Ireland)
TMO: Shaun Veldsman (South Africa)

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