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International: Chabal and Tillous-Borde in
France’s starting XV against Australia
19 November 2008
France have recalled Sebastien Chabal for
Saturday’s evening clash with Australia in Paris.
The Sale number eight comes in at lock for
Romain Millo-Chluski in a side that shows just two changes
to that which beat the Pacific Islanders 42-17. Sebastien
Tillous-Borde is the other new face, starting at scrum-half
in place of the injured Jean-Baptiste Elissalde.
That means Fulgence Ouedraogo retains his
spot in the back row at the expense of Louis Picamoles,
while Chabal’s club colleague Lionel Faure starts again in
the front row.
Fly-half David Skrela makes his third
consecutive start after shrugging off a minor knock.
“These are not easy choices, given that the
23-man squad has given us a lot of satisfaction. We have
gone for experience,” said head coach Marc Lièvremont.
“Romain Millo-Chluski has played two sets of
80 minutes, with two good displays. That said, Seb [Chabal]
had played excellently when he has come on and we have more
cohesion with two weeks of work. Sebastien has qualities in
the scrum that you can’t ignore, and he also perhaps has
more freshness in his legs,” said Lièvremont.
The former Dax man is expecting a tough
encounter at the weekend but saw enough in the Wallabies’
victory over England to give him hope.
“In the first half against England they
buckled without really caving in. They suffered a lot in the
first half, but showed how clever they are. They let England
wear themselves out,” he observed.
Australia have also made changes with three
new faces in their pack: Prop Ben Alexander comes in for
Benn Robinson; Dean Mumm replaces Mark Chisholm (with Hugh
McMeniman moving to the back row) and Wycliff Palu is
recalled at number eight instead of Richard Brown.
Meanwhile, Stirling Mortlock will gain his 75th
cap at the weekend, moving level with Jason Little as the 10th-most
capped Australian.
Teams
France:
Medard (Toulouse); Malzieu (Clermont-Auvergne), Jauzion (Toulouse), Baby
(Clermont-Auvergne), Heymans; Skrela (both Toulouse), Tillous-Borde (Castres);
Faure (Sale), Szarzewski (Stade Français), Mas (Perpignan), Nallet (Castres,
capt), Chabal (Sale), Dusautoir (Toulouse), Ouedraogo (Montpellier),
Harinordoquy (Biarritz). Replacements: Lecouls (Toulouse), Kayser (Leicester),
Millo-Chluski (Toulouse), Picamoles (Montpellier), Tomas (Montpellier), Traille
(Biarritz), Palisson (Brive).
Australia:
Ashley-Cooper (ACT Brumbies); Hynes (Queensland Reds),
Cross (Western Force), Mortlock (ACT Brumbies, capt),
Mitchell; Giteau (both Western Force), Burgess (NSW
Waratahs); Alexander (ACT Brumbies), Moore (Queensland
Reds), Baxter (NSW Waratahs), McMeniman (Queensland
Reds), Sharpe (Western Force), Mumm (NSW Waratahs),
Smith (ACT Brumbies), Palu (NSW Waratahs). Replacements:
Polota-Nau, Kepu (both NSW Waratahs), Chisholm (ACT
Brumbies), Pocock (Western Force), Cordingley, Cooper,
Ioane (Queensland Reds).
*
Napolioni Nalaga, the Pacific Islands winger who was
sent off against France, has been banned for 22 days.
The Clermont player will now miss their final match
against Italy, and Clermont’s games against
Mont-de-Marsan (in Top 14) and Munster (in the Heineken
Cup). The IRB disciplinary commission deemed Nalaga’s
horror tackle, which left Jean-Baptiste Elissalde
unconscious, to have been “dangerous but not
premeditated”.
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