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Michalak recalled for second Test

FredericMichalakIre10SB
Frederic Michalak will start France’s second Test against Argentina after being named at fly-half for the clash in Tucuman.

Frederic Michalak will start France’s second Test against Argentina after being named at fly-half for the clash in Tucuman.

Michalak is one of six changes to the team, forming a new half-back pairing with debutant scrum-half Maxime Machenaud with both Morgan Parra and François Trinh-Duc dropping to the bench.

France’s top try scorer during the RBS 6 Nations Wesley Fofana also finds himself on the bench, with Maxime Mermoz recalled to inside centre.

Benjamin Fall comes in for Jean-Marcellin Buttin on the right wing while there are also two changes in the pack, Vincent Debaty replacing the injured Yvan Watremez at loosehead and Alexandre Lapandry starting in the back row ahead of Wenceslas Lauret.

Les Bleus dominated the first Test only to lose to a late breakaway try from Argentine winger Miguel Montero, going down 23-20.

However with World Cup seedings set to be decided this year, a win in the second Test would put France back above the Pumas and in contention for a place as a top seed.

And Fall, who will make his first appearance for France since the 2010 RBS 6 Nations, insists Les Bleus have some unfinished business after a frustrating loss in Cordoba.

He said: “We gave them the first match at Cordoba. We need to make up for that. “This week we took quite an earful, the speeches got a little tougher, which is logical after a loss.

“We will have to be more pragmatic. Use the kicking game a bit more to have more territory and counter the pressure. In the first match we played the opposite way, attacking from our own half and throwing passes which we didn’t need to.

“It’s been like a resurrection for me. I’ve only played two games this year, I didn’t expect this.”

France: Dulin, Fall, Fritz, Mermoz, Huget, Michalak, Machenaud, Debaty, Szarzewski, Attoub, Maestri, Papé, Lapandry, Ouedraogo, Picamoles Replacements: Tolofua, Domingo, Samson, Lauret, Parra, Trinh-Duc, Fofana