|
|||
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
Chabal and Ibanez back for France
![]() Ibanez starts against Tonga after two years out of the France side NANTES, France -- France have made two changes to the side that defeated Canada 50-6 on Saturday for their Test against Tonga in Toulouse. France coach Bernard Laporte and team manager Jo Maso recalled Sale number eight Sebastien Chabal. "Chabal will start the game and so will Raphael Ibanez," said Maso - after naming a 22-player squad for Saturday. Saracens hooker Ibanez, 32, has won 73 caps since 1996 and was captain of the France team that reached the 1999 World Cup final. He was named as a replacement in France's squad for the first time since the 2003 World Cup third-place playoff against New Zealand and played the last 15 minutes of the Canada Test. Chabal, 27, won his 23rd cap when he came on as a late replacement in France's 26-16 win over Australia a week ago in Marseille. "Before the beginning of the November tour, we said that we wanted to test as many players as possible," Laporte said. "With the promotion of players who were on the bench against Canada and the arrival of Chabal and Clerc, there will be a 50 percent turnover in the starting line-up and we shall have reviewed 38 players in three games," he added. Flyhalf Yann Delaigue, fullback Julien Laharrague, lock Gregory Lamboley, flanker Yannick Nyanga and prop Olivier Milloud are the replacements who should be given a start. Frederic Michalak who started at number 10 against Australia and Canada, could be rested on the bench covering the flyhalf and scrumhalf positions. "After the Tonga game, we'll take stock to find the best team available to face South Africa, who are arguably the second best team of the moment behind the All Blacks", Laporte said. The France coach said he had "a very limited knowledge of Tonga", who were crushed 48-0 by Italy on Saturday in Rome. "We'll still have to stay focused as we did against Canada after defeating Australia. I don't know what kind of team they fielded against Italy. Maybe they will name 15 different players against us," Laporte said. Maso added: "I'm surprised they conceded seven tries to the Italians because defence is regarded as their strong point." France have faced Tonga only twice: they won 38-10 in a group match at the 1995 World Cup in Pretoria and lost 20-16 in June 1999 in Nuku A'lofa. Squad: Backs: Dimitri Yachvili, Frederic Michalak, Yann Delaigue, Thomas Castaignede, Yannick Jauzion, David Marty, Vincent Clerc, Aurelien Rougerie, Julien Laharrague. Forwards: Pieter de Villiers, Sylvain Marconnet, Olivier Milloud, Raphael Ibanez, Sebastien Bruno, Jerome Thion (captain), Lionel Nallet, Gregory Lamboley, Sebastien Chabal, Yannick Nyanga, Thomas Lievremont, Remy Martin, Julien Bonnaire.
| | |||||||||||||||||||||
| © 2007 Cable News Network LP, LLLP. A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved. Terms under which this service is provided to you. Read our privacy guidelines. Contact us. Site Map. |
|