Marc Lievermont announces 13 changes in Les Bleus starting XV for encounter against Ireland
French national Rugby Union team, also known as the Les Bleus, has announced their match day squad for their second pre world cup warm up match against the Ireland.
Les Blues head coach, Marc Lievermont has made 13 changes in the starting line-up, which last week handed over a 19 – 12 defeat at Stade Chaban-Delmas, Bordeaux.
Lievermont has announced his squad for their Saturday, August 20 encounter against the Ireland at Lansdowne Road, Dublin, on Tuesday, August 16.
The duo of Alexis Palisson and Dimitri Szarzewski are the only two man retained from the line up, which defeated the Ireland during the last weekend. Both Palisson and Szarzewski will start the match from at the left-winger and hooker position respectively.
Also included in the squad is the Clermont’s utility back Aurelien Rougerie. The 30-year-old Rougerie’s return from the injury has bolstered the French 2011 Rugby World Cup preparations.
French international centre Rougerie so far has made 63 international appearances for the Les Blues. He was sidelined from the game, due to the knee injury, which he sustained during the semi-final of the 2010/11 French Top 14 season.
In addition to Rougerie, Toulouse duo of Cedric Heymans and Maxime Medard and Racing Metro’s Fabrice Estebanez and halfback pair of David Skrela and Morgan Parra form the backs line for the Blues in their final pre world cup encounter.
The trio of the Skrela, Medrad and Parra has been elevated from the bench to take the field in the starting xv on coming Saturday. They have replaced Dimitri Yachvili, Francois Trinh-Duc and Vincent Clerc, who will start the match bench.
In the forward line, Sylvain Marconnet, Luc Ducalcon, Romain Millo-Chluski, Thierry Dusautoir (c) and Imanol Harinordoquy have been dropped from the match day squad. They are replaced by the Jean-Baptiste Poux, Nicolas Mas, Lionel Nallet, Fulgence Ouedraogo
and Louis Picamoles respectively.
The second row forward Julien Pierre and Raphael Lakafia are moved on the bench, making way for the Pascal Pape and Julien Bonnaire respectively.
Lievermont has announced Racing-Metro lock Lionel Nallet as the captain for the side for their Saturday’s encounter. The injured duo of William Servat and Thomas Domingo are the only players, who were not given any game time, before the announcement of their
final 30-man squad on coming Sunday.
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