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France team named - Bastareaud to captain
By Harry West
Mathieu Bastareaud will captain France in place of the injured Guilhem Guirado as Jacques Brunel makes three changes for their final 2018 Six Nations fixture against Wales.
Hooker Guirado has been ruled out with a knee problem and his place is taken by Adrien Pelissie, with bruising centre Bastareaud to lead the side in Cardiff on Saturday.
Gael Fickou is selected on the wing, from where Benjamin Fall moves to full-back with Hugo Bonneval missing out due to a failed head injury assessment, and Cedate Gomes Sa replaces Rabah Slimani in the front row.
Les Bleus, who ended England's faint title hopes with a 22-16 victory in Paris last weekend, are one of four sides - along with opponents Wales - who can finish second behind champions Ireland, who are chasing the Grand Slam at Twickenham.
France: Benjamin Fall, Gael Fickou, Mathieu Bastareaud (captain), Geoffrey Doumayrou, Remy Grosso, Francois Trinh-Duc, Maxime Machenaud; Jefferson Poirot, Adrien Pelissie, Cedate Gomes Sa, Paul Gabrillagues, Sebastien Vahaamahina, Wenceslas Lauret, Yacouba Camara, Marco Tauleigne.
Replacements: Camille Chat, Dany Priso, Rabah Slimani, Bernard Le Roux, Mathieu Babillot, Baptiste Couilloud, Lionel Beauxis, Geoffrey Palis.
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500k registered players in SA are scoolgoers and 90% of them don't go on to senior club rugby. SA is fed by having hundreds upon hundreds of schools that play rugby - school rugby is an institution of note in SA - but as I say for the vast majority when they leave school that's it.
Go to commentsDon't think you've watched enough. I'll take him over anything I's seen so far. But let's see how the future pans out. I'm quietly confident we have a row of 10's lined uo who would each start in many really good teams.
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