News

Dupont and Penaud start for France against Wales

Inpho
Antoine Dupont and Damian Penaud have come through late fitness tests to take their place in the France team to take on Wales on Sunday.

Antoine Dupont and Damian Penaud have come through late fitness tests to take their place in the France team to take on Wales on Sunday.

Dupont had been struggling with a back injury, while Penaud missed training this week with a groin problem, but both are fit to start the World Cup quarter-final in Oita.

That left Jacques Brunel with a full squad to pick from, and he has gone for a team that is very similar to the one that beat Argentina in France’s opening game in Japan.

Bernard le Roux is the only change from that side, coming into the second row in place of Arthur Iturria.

Dupont and Romain Ntamack will be the starting half-backs, with Gaël Fickou and Virimi Vakatawa getting the nod in the centres.

Penaud joins Maxime Médard and Yoann Huget in the back three.

Up front, Guilhem Guirado will captain the side at hooker, with Jefferson Poirot and Rabah Slimani joining him in the front row.

Sébastien Vahaamahina starts alongside Le Roux, with Wenceslas Lauret, Charles Ollivon and Grégory Alldritt getting the nod in the back row.

There are a couple of notable decisions on the bench, with Baptiste Serin preferred to Maxime Machenaud, while Vincent Rattez will make his first appearance of the tournament, having replaced the injured Thomas Ramos in the squad.

Brunel said: “We don’t want to go home, we don’t want to go back to France. To avoid that, we need to play a complete game.

“We are facing one of the three best teams in the world and they have shown that during their pool matches. It’s a huge challenge but I think that if we can be consistent over the course of the game, we have a chance.”

Les Bleus are looking to reach their seventh World Cup semi-final, but have lost seven of their last eight meetings with Wales.

France team to face Wales

15. Maxime Medard (Toulouse) 14. Damian Penaud (Clermont) 13. Virimi Vakatawa (Racing 92) 12. Gaël Fickou (Stade Français) 11. Yoann Huget (Toulouse) 10. Romain Ntamack (Toulouse) 9. Antoine Dupont (Toulouse)

1. Jefferson Poirot (Bordeaux-Bègles) 2. Guilhem Guirado (Montpellier) (c) 3. Rabah Slimani (Clermont) 4. Bernard le Roux (Racing 92) 5. Sébastien Vahaamahina (Clermont) 6. Wenceslas Lauret (Racing 92) 7. Charles Ollivon (Toulon) 8. Gregory Alldritt (La Rochelle)

Replacements

16. Camille Chat (Racing 92) 17. Cyril Baille (Toulouse) 18. Emerick Setiano (Toulon) 19. Paul Gabrillagues (Stade Français) 20. Louis Picamoles (Montpellier) 21. Baptiste Serin (Toulon) 22. Camille Lopez (Clermont) 23. Vincent Rattez (La Rochelle)