Parra handed first France start

Scrum-half Morgan Parra will make his first start for France in Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations Championship match against England in Paris.

The Bourgoin number nine has been a substitute in Les Bleus’ opening two tournament wins over Scotland and Ireland, but is promoted off the bench following the injury to Jean-Baptiste Elissalde.

Parra, 19, will partner Montpellier fly-half Francois Trinh-Duc, who also has just two caps to his name, in an inexperienced half-back combination against the World Cup finalists.

Trinh-Duc comes in for David Skrela in the only other change in the backs, while head coach Marc Lievremont makes two more alterations in his pack.

Toulouse lock Romain Millo-Chluski comes into the second row for his second cap and Montpellier’s Louis Picamoles is named at number eight, with Fulgence Ouedraogo dropping to the bench and Julien Bonnaire switching to his usual position of flanker.

Jean-Baptiste Poux and Dimitri Yachvili, who on Monday were called up as replacements for injured pair Julien Brugnaut and Elissalde, start on the bench.

The last time Les Bleus played England was in October last year, when Brian Ashton’s side won 14-9 in a World Cup semi-final at the Stade de France.

France team for Saturday's RBS 6 Nations Championship match against England in Paris:

C Heymans (Toulouse); A Rougerie (Clermont-Auvergne), D Marty (Perpignan), D Traille (Biarritz), V Clerc (Toulouse); F Trinh-Duc (Montpellier), M Parra (Bourgoin); L Faure (Sale), D Szarzewski (Stade Francais), N Mas (Perpignan), L Nallet (Castres, capt), R Millo-Chluski, T Dusautoir (both Toulouse), J Bonnaire (Clermont-Auvergne), L Picamoles (Montpellier).

Replacements: W Servat, J-B Poux (both Toulouse), P Pape (Stade Francais), F Ouedraogo (Montpellier), D Yachvili (Biarritz), D Skrela (Stade Francais), A Floch (Clermont-Auvergne).