Clermont duo Vincent Debaty and Wesley Fofana have been called up by new France coach Philippe Saint Andre for the World Cup finalists’ Six Nations opener against Italy in Stade de France on Saturday.
Saint-Andre, the 44-year-old who succeeded Marc Lievremont, has called up ten of the team that were runners-up to New Zealand in the World Cup final on October 23.
“We have enormous respect for the Italians, their team and Jacques Brunel (coach) whose competences we are aware of,” said Saint-Andre.
“The aim is to get a good start in the Six Nations. We’re going to focus and do all we can to win this first match on front of our public in Stade de France.”
It is the first selection for 24-year-old Fofana who can play at centre or wing. He will link up in centre with Clermont captain Aurelien Rougerie.
Prop Debaty, 30, gets his second call-up after Romania in 2006, while Clermont winger Julien Malzieu returns for the first time since June 2010.
Saint Andre has relied heavily on players from Top 14 clubs Clermont and champions Toulouse with five from each side included.
Montpellier fly-half Francois Trinh-Duc, who played mostly a replacement’s role during the World Cup, returns to first choice line-up, where he will link up with Biarritz’s Dimitri Yachvili, who was preferred over Morgan Parra.
France: Maxime Medard, Vincent Clerc, Aurelien Rougerie, Wesley Fofana, Julien Malzieu, Francois Trinh-Duc, Dimitri Yachvili; Louis Picamoles, Julien Bonnaire, Thierry Dusautoir (capt), Lionel Nallet, Pascal Pape, Nicolas Mas, William Servat, Vincent Debaty. Res: Dimitri Szarzewski, Jean-Baptiste Poux, Yoan Maestri, Imanol Harinordoquy, Morgan Parra, Lionel Beauxis, Maxime Mermoz.