Marconnet back for France

Tighthead prop Sylvain Marconnet will return to the French side this weekend for the crunch Pool B encounter with Scotland at Telstra Stadium.

Marconnet has been out of action for five weeks after suffering a thigh injury during France’s World Cup warm-up camp and admitted earlier this week that he did not expect to get anything more than a place on the replacements’ bench.

However, coach Bernard Laporte is so keen to have the Stade Francais front-row in his side that he has rushed Marconnet back faster than he expected.

With lock Fabien Pelous and fly-half Frederic Michalak recovering from minor knocks, Laporte has been able to select virtually the same side which produced a thrilling performance in their opening win over Fiji.

Like Scotland, France boast a 100% record so far and know victory would almost certainly guarantee that the twice World Cup runners-up will top the group.

Team: N Brusque (Biarritz); A Rougerie (Montferrand), T Marsh (Montferrand), Y Jauzion (Toulouse), C Dominici (Stade Francais); F Michalak (Toulouse), F Galthie (Stade Francais, capt); J-J Crenca (Agen), R Ibanez (Saracens), S Marconnet (Stade Francais), F Pelous (Toulouse), J Thion (Biarritz), S Betsen (Biarritz), O Magne (Montferrand), I Harinordoquy (Pau).

Replacements: Y Bru (Toulouse), O Milloud (Bourgoin-Jallieu), O Brouzet (Montferrand), P Tabacco (Stade Francais), G Merceron (Montferrand), D Traille (Pau), P Elhorga (Agen).