France head coach Marc
Lièvremont has made five changes for the vital Championship
clash with Wales on Friday, including naming Clermont centre
Benoit Baby at fly-half in place of the injured Lionel
Beauxis.
Lièvremont, who is coming under
increasing pressure after a disappointing run of results, is
playing a risky game by announcing an untried half-back
pairing of Bourgoin's Morgan Parra (20) and Baby (25).
He elected to overlook the
claims of Francois Trinh-Duc - the only specialist fly-half
in the squad - and has also dropped Sebastien Tillous-Borde
- who had started the previous two matches in the No 9
shirt.
Baby's selection at fly-half
has opened the door for Stade Francais' 20-year-old Mathieu
Bastareaud to make his debut in the centres, and Lièvremont
has sprung a further surprise by dropping experienced
full-back Clement Poitrenaud in favour of his club colleague
Maxime Medard (22).
Medard's place on the wing has
now gone to Clermont's Julien Malzieu (25).
It is a youthful and
experimental back line - not the ideal combination when
taking on Europe's form team and defending Grand Slam
champions Wales. It also opens Lièvremont up to the prospect
of further criticism if his gamble doesn't pay off.
The other changes were more
predictable with Sale's Sebastien Chabal coming in for
Romain Millo-Chluski in the second row, and veteran prop
Sylvain Marconnet also getting the nod.
The Wales match will be
Marconnet's 72nd for Les Bleus - equalling the record held
by Christian Califano, France's most capped prop.
Bastareaud's inclusion at
outside centre caps a remarkable week for the huge, and
hugely talented, youngster.
"I have fulfilled two of my
greatest dreams," he admitted. "The first was to play
against my idol Tana Umaga. The second was to make the
France squad."
Bastareaud - who is a cousin of
France and Arsenal footballer William Gallas - has been
tipped for the top since being named by Bernard Laporte in
France's squad to tour New Zealand in 2007.
Injury prevented him taking up
that opportunity, but it was a remarkable show of faith from
the former France coach as Bastareaud wasn't even playing
for a professional club at that point.
He has been in outstanding for
Stade Francais this season, and scored his fourth league try
of the season against Umaga's Toulon last weekend.
France XV: Maxime
Medard; Julien Malzieu; Mathieu Bastareaud; Yannick Jauzion;
Cedric Heymans; Benoit Baby; Morgan Parra; Imanol
Harinordoquy; Fulgence Ouedraogo; Thierry Dusautoir;
Sebastien Chabal; Lionel Nallet (capt); Sylvain Marconnet;
Dimitri Szarzewski; Fabien Barcella.
Subs: Benjamin Kayser; Thomas Domingo; Romain
Millo-Chluski; Louis Picamoles; Sebastien Tillous-Borde;
Francois Trinh-Duc; Clement Poitrenaud.
Wales XV: Lee Byrne;
Leigh Halfpenny; Tom Shanklin; Jamie Roberts; Shane
Williams; Stephen Jones; Michael Phillips; Gethin Jenkins;
Matthew Rees; Adam Jones; Ian Gough; Alun Wyn Jones; Ryan
Jones (capt); Martyn Williams; Andy Powell.
Subs: Huw Bennett; John Yapp; Luke Charteris; Dafydd
Jones; Dwayne Peel; James Hook; Gavin Henson.
Date: 27.02.09
Kick-off: 21.00
Venue: Stade de France
Referee: Mark Lawrence (South Africa)
