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Named: France bring back battering ram Bastareaud
By Peter Thompson
Mathieu Bastareaud will make his first France appearance for over two years and the uncapped Anthony Belleau will start at fly-half against New Zealand on Saturday.
Bastareaud has not played for his country since the Rugby World Cup quarter-final against the All Blacks in October 2015, but will start versus the same opponents at Stade de France this weekend.
Belleau is preferred to Francois Trinh-Duc in the absence of Camille Lopez for depleted Les Bleus and will form a young half-back pairing with Antoine Dupont, who gets the nod over Baptiste Serin.
Lock Paul Gabrillagues and back-row Judicael Cancoriet will also make their debuts against the world champions in Paris.
Wing Teddy Thomas returns to the side, having been absent since February 2016.
France: Nans Ducuing, Teddy Thomas, Geoffrey Doumayrou, Mathieu Bastareaud, Yoann Huget, Anthony Belleau, Antoine Dupont; Jefferson Poirot, Guilhem Guirado (captain), Rabah Slimani, Sebastien Vahaamahina, Paul Gabrillagues, Judicael Cancoriet, Kevin Gourdon, Louis Picamoles.
Replacements: Clement Maynadier, Raphael Chaume, Daniel Kotze, Paul Jedrasiak, Anthony Jelonch, Baptiste Serin, Francois Trinh-Duc, Damian Penaud.
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Latest Comments
I didn’t. Open you’re eyes, we (DMac) sliced them in half in the first test.
Their athletes are obviously so much more gifted than hours, having 4 or 5 times the numbers (so all are guaranteed peak athletes that could still run out on the field and do rings around the opposition even after a heavy night on the booze) too which could be a reason why all our players have returned in bad shape.
Go to commentsThat is true, it might be just as much about celebrating freedom as remembrance. Or maybe that’s just the angle sold in the US I’ve become familiar with? I certainly don’t know, but if all the ones still remembering by turning out on the day don’t mind it revolving around a rugby test instead (that’s the issue you know?), then I’m all for it.
Maybe that’s why I remember a lot of angst when league first did it then? For them, they probably had to follow the AFL no matter what some people though. I just a) don’t think rugby has to (RA might), and b) always had the reason it didn’t being it was inappropriate.
But you’re saying I’m wrong in that last assertion?
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