Picamoles returns for Pool D decider
Picamoles' return is one of three changes to the team that beat Canada 41-18 last week.
Wing Noa Nakaitaci returns to the starting XV in place Remy Grosso, while Damien Chouly switches from No.8 against Canada to openside flank.
Picamoles will win his 50th cap, becoming the 53rd France player to reach this milestone.
The starting XV for the match against Ireland comprises 13 starters from France's opening match, a 32-10 win over Italy, with the only changes being the then injured Wesley Fofana for Alexandre Dumoulin at No.12 and Brice Dulin for Yoann Huget, whose World Cup was ended by an injury in that match.
Thierry Dusautoir will captain France for the 55th time, joining John Eales [Australia] in seventh place on the all-time list.
Ten of France's starting XV also started the Six Nations match against Ireland in February, which Les Bleus lost 11-18 in Dublin. Seven of the eight forwards – all except Le Roux – return from that day and three of the backs [Fofana, Mathieu Bastareaud, Scott Spedding].
Frédéric Michalak can continue his rise up the points scoring tables for both overall World Cup points and pool points. He is currently seventh on both but will probably have dropped to eighth on the former – behind Dan Carter – after New Zealand's match on Friday night.
If he scores 16 points, Michalak will have scored 200 for France in 22 tests under Saint-Andre's leadership.
If Nicolas Mas comes onto the pitch, he will equal Sylvain Marconnet's France record of 84 caps for a prop. The world record is held by Gethin Jenkins who has played his 123 tests for Wales and the British & Irish Lions at prop.
Fofana and Bastareaud will play together in the centres for the 13th time for France. Only Damien Traille and Yannick Jauzion (15) played more often at No.12 and N0.13 for France in the professional era.
Prop Rabah Slimani and centre Fofana have both scored tries in both of their World Cup matches and will be looking to continue that sequence.
France: 15 Scott Spedding, 14 Noa Nakaitaci, 13 Mathieu Bastareaud, 12 Wesley Fofana, 11 Brice Dulin, 10 Frederic Michalak, 9 Sebastien Tillous Borde, 8 Louis Picamoles, 7 Damien Chouly, 6 Thierry Dusautoir (captain), 5 Yoann Maestri, 4 Pascal Pape, 3 Rabah Slimani, 2 Guilhem Guirado, 1 Eddy Ben Arous.
Replacements: 16 Benjamin Kayser, 17 Vincent Debaty, 18 Nicolas Mas, 19 Alexandre Flanquart, 20 Bernard Le Roux, 21 Morgan Parra, 22 Remi Tales, 23 Alexandre Dumoulin.
Date: Sunday, October 11
Venue: Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
Kick-off: 16.45 (15.45 GMT; 17.45 French time)
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Assistant referees: Wayne Barnes (England), Leighton Hodges (Wales)
TMO: Graham Hughes (England)
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