New France coach Pilippe Saint Andre has made a few key changes to the team that contested the World Cup Final for their Six Nations opener against Italy at the Stade de France on Saturday.
Saint-Andre, the 44-year-old who succeeded Marc Lievremont, has included five players from Top 14 champions Toulouse and five from Clermont, including Vincent Debaty who has just one Test cap and and Wesley Fofana who will make his debut.
The new France boss said that his team would be on their guard against Italy as they look to get their campaign off to a positive start on home turf.
"We have enormous respect for the Italians, their team and Jacques Brunel (coach) whose competences we are aware of," said Saint-Andre.
"The aim is to get a good start in the Six Nations. We're going to focus and do all we can to win this first match on front of our public in Stade de France."
The versatile 24-year-old Fofana can play at centre or wing and will link up in the midfield with his Clermont captain Aurelien Rougerie.
Prop Debaty, 30, gets his second call-up after Romania in 2006, while Clermont wing Julien Malzieu returns for the first time since June 2010.
Montpellier flyhalf Francois Trinh-Duc, who played mostly a replacement's role during the World Cup, returns to first choice line-up, where he will link up with Biarritzs scrumhalf Dimitri Yachvili, who was preferred over Morgan Parra.
France: 15 Maxime Medard, 14 Vincent Clerc, 13 Aurelien Rougerie, 12 Wesley Fofana, 11 Julien Malzieu, 10 Francois Trinh-Duc, 9 Dmitri Yachvili, 8 Julien Bonnaire, 7 Louis Picamoles, 6 Thierry Dusautoir (captain), 5 Lionel Nallet, 4 Pascal Pape, 3 Nicolas Mas, 2 William Servat, 1 Vincent Debaty.
Replacements: 16 Dimitri Szarzewski, 17 Jean-Baptiste Poux, 18 Yohann Maestri, 19 Imanol Harinordoquy, 20 Morgan Parra, 21 Lionel Beauxis, 22 Maxime Mermoz.
Date: Saturday, February 4
Venue: Stade de France, Paris
Kick-off: 14.30 (GMT)
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Assistant referees: Andrew Small (England), John Lacey (Ireland)
TMO: Graham Hughes (England)
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