Laporte rings the changes

Welsh Rugby Union | Club & Community Published 9:09 am 20th Feb 2007 post

Prop Nicolas Mas, hooker Benoit August, lock Gregory Lamboley, No.8 Elvis Vermeulen and winger Aurelien Rougerie have been drafted into the party for Saturday’s clash at the Stade de France.

Pieter De Villiers, Sebastien Bruno, Pascal Pape, Sebastien Chabal; who picked up an injury playing for Sale against Wasps on Sunday and Cedric Heymans make way, respectively. None of the five newcomers have yet played a part in this season’s RBS Six Nations Championship.

Wasps hooker Raphael Ibanez will continue as Captain in the absence of regular skipper Fabien Pelous, who is out with an ankle injury. Laporte will announce his starting XV for the game on Tuesday. France have won both their opening matches in the tournament, beating Italy 3-39 and Ireland 17-20.

France Squad to face Wales:

Forwards: Olivier Milloud (Bourgoin), Sylvain Marconnet (Stade Francais), Nicolas Mas (Perpignan), Raphael Ibanez (Wasps, capt), Benoit August (Biarritz), Lionel Nallet (Castres), Gregory Lamboley (Toulouse), Jerome Thion, Serge Betsen (both Biarritz), Julien Bonnaire (Bourgoin), Imanol Harinordoquy (Biarritz), Elvis Vermeulen (Clermont-Auvergne)

Backs: Pierre Mignoni (Clermont-Auvergne), Dimitri Yachvili (Biarritz), David Skrela, Lionel Beauxis (Stade Francais), Yannick Jauzion (Toulouse), David Marty (Perpignan), Aurelien Rougerie (Clermont-Auvergne), Christophe Dominici (Stade Francais), Vincent Clerc, Clement Poitrenaud (Toulouse)