France have made eight changes to the side that beat England last weekend ahead of tomorrow's second meeting with the defending world champions in Marseille.
France snatched a 21-15 win over Brian Ashton's side in Twickenham last weekend thanks to a late try from Sebastian Chabal. The burly flanker is nursing a calf injury, however, and will be missing tomorrow.
Frederic Michalak and Jean-Baptiste Elissalde replace David Skrela and Pierre Mignoni as the halfback pairing, while the backrow is completely dismantled, with Yannick Nyanga, Thierry Dusautoir and Imanol Harinordoquy earning starts.
The other changes for the clash see centre Yannick Jauzion come in - as a replacement for David Marty - after recovering from a back problem, while experienced duo Cedric Heymans and Christophe Dominici are named on the wings.
They replace Aurelien Rougerie, who is on the bench, and Vincent Clerc, who picked up a knock last weekend and did not make the 22 for the rematch.
Fabien Pelous retains his place in the second row alongside Jerome Thion and will make his 112th Les Bleus appearance, breaking the national record currently held by the great Philippe Sella.
Arguably the most interesting change has come among the half-backs, with Michalak and Elissalde given the chance to nail down starting places for the World Cup, which begins on September 7th when France take on Argentina.
Skrela and Mignoni excelled in the Six Nations and started against England last weekend, but they know strong performances from Michalak and Elissalde, both favourites of head coach Bernard Laporte, could sway the thinking ahead of next month's showpiece.
After a brief appearance off the bench last Saturday, Michalak - one of nine Toulouse players in Les Bleus' starting XV this weekend - feels he is back where he belongs after finally recovering from a string of injuries that have sidelined him for more than a year.
"I think I need to play, to touch the ball," said the fit-again outhalf, whose last start for his country came against Wales in March 2006. "It is really on the pitch where you take most pleasure in rugby. Training is fine, but being on the pitch is the most important thing.
"I have hardly played since my knee injury (sustained in November last year) and I have to find my game.
"But I am confident in this team and am confident about my abilities. I feel good physically and I have nothing to prove."
France: C Poitrenaud (Toulouse); C Heymans (Toulouse), D Traille (Biarritz), Y Jauzion (Toulouse), C Dominici (Stade Francais); F Michalak (Toulouse), J-B Elissalde (Toulouse); O Milloud (Bourgoin), R Ibanez (Wasps, capt), J-B Poux (Toulouse), F Pelous (Toulouse), J Thion (Biarritz), Y Nyanga (Toulouse), T Dusautoir (Toulouse), I Harinordoquy (Biarritz)
Replacements: S Bruno (Sale Sharks), N Mas (Perpignan), L Nallet (Castres), J Bonnaire (Bourgoin), P Mignoni (Clermont-Auvergne), D Skrela (Stade Francais), A Rougerie (Clermont-Auvergne).
