Lièvremont still 'experimenting'
Mon, 23 Jun 2008 11:50
Experimenting: French coach Marc Lièvremont
French coach Marc Lièvremont, already without a host of his frontline players, continued his controversial policy of experimental selections when he named the team to face Australia in the first of two Tests in Sydney on Saturday.
The French mentor arrived in Australia with only seven 'Les Bleus' players from the Six Nations tournament earlier this year - ahead of the two Tests in Sydney on Saturday and Brisbane on July 5 - and nearly half the 26-man squad comprises uncapped players.
The absence of his frontline stars are mainly as a result of the premier French club competition, Top 14, play-offs overlapping with the tour.
And on Monday Lièvremont further compounded the situation by selecting players out of their usual positions.
His experimentation at flyhalf is the most noteworthy, with Montpellier No.10 François Trinh-Duc moving to inside centre - where he will partner Damien Traille in midfield.
Bourgoin's flyhalf Benjamin Boyet will start in the No.10 channel, with Biarritz scrumhalf Dimitri Yachvili the man to guide the youngster through the Test.
Pépito Elhorga will start at fullback, while there is a debut for the Brive wing Alexis Palisson.
The French coach also moved Sale Sharks loose forward Sébastien Chabal to lock, where he will partner French captain Lionel Nallet in the second row.
Two other Sale players, Sébastien Bruno and Lionel Faure will team up in the front row.
At tighthead prop Benoît Lecouls will make his Test debut, teaming up in the front row with two other Sale Sharks players in hooker Sébastien Bruno and loosehead prop Lionel Faure.
France: 15 Pépito Elhorga, 14 Alexis Palisson, 13 Damien Traille, 12 François Trinh-Duc, 11 Benjamin Thiéry , 10 Benjamin Boyet, 9 Dimitri Yachvili, 8 Imanol Harinordoquy, 7 Louis Picamoles, 6
Fulgence Ouedraogo, 5 Sébastien Chabal, 4 Lionel Nallet , 3 Benoît Lecouls, 2 Sébastien Bruno, 1 Lionel Faure.
Replacements: 16 Benjamin Kayser, 17 Renaud Boyoud, 18 David Couzinet, 19 Mathieu Lièvremont, 20 Sébastien Tillous-Borde, 21 Thibault Lacroix, 22 David Janin
Date: Saturday, June 28
Venue: ANZ Stadium, Sydney
Kick-off: 20.05 (10.05 GMT)
Referee: Marius Jonker (South Africa)
Touch judges: Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa), Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand)
TMO: Johann Meuwesen (South Africa)
