French ring the changes for Georgia test

FRANCE have made nine changes to their starting line-up to take on Georgia in their final World Cup Group D match at Marseille on Sunday.

Coach Bernard Laporte made four changes to his pack and five to the backs from the side that revived French hopes with a crucial 25-3 victory over Ireland in Paris last Friday.

In for his first World Cup match comes hooker Sebastien Bruno with Jean-Baptiste Poux beside him at prop. Lock Lionel Nallet comes back at lock in place of Sebastien Chabal, while Yannick Nyanga joins Serge Betsen and Julien Bonnaire in the back row. Betsen captains the side in the absence of hooker Raphael Ibanez.

There are call-ups for three veterans who paid the price of the traumatic 12-17 opening match loss to Argentina on September 7. Yannick Jauzion joins David Marty at centre, while Christophe Dominici and Aurelien Rougerie return on the wings.

The half-back pairing also changes, with Pierre Mignoni at scrum-half and Lionel Beauxis at fly-half.

FRANCE (15-1): C Poitrenaud; A Rougerie, D Marty, Y Jauzion, C Dominici; L Beauxis, P Mignoni; Y Nyanga, J Bonnaire, S Betsen (capt); J Thion, L Nallet; JB Poux, S Bruno, O Milloud. Replacements: D Szarzewski, N Mas, F Pelous, R Martin, J B Elissalde, D Skrela, V Clerc.