News

Slimani and Fall start as two debutants come in for France

RabahSlimaniFra18SB800
Benjamin Fall and Rabah Slimani will start for France against Fiji in the two changes to the side made by Jacques Brunel.

Benjamin Fall and Rabah Slimani will start for France against Fiji in the two changes to the side made by Jacques Brunel.

Fall comes in for injured full-back Maxime Médard, having replaced the Toulouse man early in the victory over Argentina, while Slimani is promoted from the bench in place of Cedate Gomes Sa.

There are also changes on the bench with Demba Bamba, the former France Under-20s tighthead prop, and Toulouse hooker Julien Marchand in line for their Test debuts.

Also coming onto the bench are Félix Lambey and Kélian Galletier, who will make their first appearances of the November Tests, while Geoffrey Doumayrou takes Fall’s spot among the replacements.

The rest of the team is unchanged, with Guilhem Guirado captaining from hooker once more, while Baptiste Serin and Camille Lopez pull the strings in the half-backs.

After a man-of-the-match display in Lille, Gaël Fickou continues in the centres alongside Mathieu Bastareaud.

France come into the game at the Stade de France off the back of a 28-13 win over Los Pumas, and will look to make it two wins from three this November against Fiji.

The Pacific Islanders will provide a familiar opposition for Les Bleus, with eight of their starting line-up plying their trade in France.

Brunel explained his decisions saying: “It’s a reward for the performance of Slimani who made a very satisfactory substitute appearance. He was good in the key sectors and more present in the loose, as I’d asked of him. This start is to encourage him in that sense.

“For Benjamin Fall, it’s a logical selection given that Maxime Médard has suffered a concussion. He could not play.”

France team to face Fiji in Paris on November 24 15. Benjamin Fall, 14. Teddy Thomas, 13. Gaël Fickou, 12. Mathieu Bastareaud, 11. Yoann Huget, 10. Camille Lopez, 9. Baptiste Serin, 1. Jefferson Poirot, 2. Guilhem Guirado (capt), 3. Rabah Slimani, 4. Sébastien Vahaamahina, 5. Yoann Maestri, 6. Wenceslas Lauret, 7. Arthur Iturria, 8. Louis Picamoles Replacements: 16. Julien Marchand, 17. Dany Priso, 18. Demba Bamba, 19. Félix Lambey, 20. Kélian Galletier, 21. Antoine Dupont, 22. Anthony Belleau, 23. Geoffrey Doumayrou