France look to bounce back

France are looking to bounce back from last weekend’s nightmare at Twickenham when they take on wooden-spoon favourites Italy in the RBS 6 Nations at Rome’s Stadio Flaminio today.

Under-pressure Les Bleus head coach Marc Lievremont made four changes in personnel to the team that started the 34-10 defeat by England, Damien Traille and Florian Fritz returning behind the scrum while Julien Bonnaire and Fabien Barcella were back in the pack.

Sebastien Chabal reverted to the second row after his failed experiment as a flanker last weekend, and Frederic Michalak – now reinvented as a scrum-half - was on the bench after being called up by France on Monday for the first time since 2007.

Italy, looking to avoid a fourth Six Nations whitewash since joining the competition in 2000, kept faith with the starting team that ran Wales so close here in Rome on matchday four.

With a points difference of minus 79, even a shock win for the Azzurri is unlikely to save them from another wooden spoon. France are able to finish as high up as second in the table if results go their way later today.