France have made four changes to the team that was so comprehensively beaten by England for their final RBS 6 Nations game against Italy at the weekend.
Coach Marc Lievremont has re-shaped his back line by including Damien Traille at full back, Florian Fritz at centre. Julien Malzieu and Mathieu Bastareaud drop to the bench.
It is the same story for lock Jerome Thion, who makes way for Sebastian Chabal with Julien Bonnaire coming into the side in the back row, but Sale prop Lionel Faure disappears completely from the 22.
Biarritz front row man Fabien Barcella takes over at loose head and there are also changes on the bench. Frederic Michalak is included in a French 22 for the first time since the 2007 World Cup and his Toulouse team mate William Servat joins him as cover for hooker.
“There were things that happened against England that I still can’t explain. The main disappointment was our lack of physicality,” said Lievremont.
“If we continue in this mediocrity, there is a great chance we are going to lose. We have everything to fear in this match
France: Damien Traille (Biarritz); Maxime Medard (Toulouse), Florian Fritz (Toulouse), Yannick Jauzion (Toulouse), Cedric Heymans (Toulouse); Francois Trinh-Duc (Montpellier), Morgan Parra (Bourgoin); Fabien Barcella (Biarritz), Dimitri Szarzewski (Stade Français), Sylvain Marconnet (Stade Francais), Lionel Nallet (Castres, captain), Sebastien Chabal (Sale), Thierry Dusautoir (Toulouse), Julien Bonnaire (Clermont-Auvergne), Imanol Harinordoquy (Biarritz).
Replacements: William Servat (Toulouse), Thomas Domingo (Clermont-Auvergne), Jerome Thion (Biarritz), Louis Picamoles (Montpellier), Frederic Michalak (Toulouse), Mathieu Bastareaud (Stade Francais), Julien Malzieu (Clermont-Auvergne)
