Belleau to make French bow


Fly-half Anthony Belleau will make his debut alongside scrum-half Antoine Dupont when France clash with New Zealand in Paris on Saturday.

Mathieu Bastareaud returns to the starting XV after a two-year absence as France coach Guy Noves picked four uncapped players on Thursday to face the All Blacks

Belleau, 21, will make his debut alongside Dupont, 20 and with just three caps, in one of the youngest ever half-back partnerships for les Bleus.

Back row Judicael Cancoriet, 21, and second row Paul Gabrillagues, 24, will also make their debuts, alongside Bastareaud’s centre partner Geoffrey Doumayrou, 28.

The 29-year-old Bastareaud’s last France appearance was in October 2015 in the humiliating 62-13 World Cup quarter-final thrashing at the hands of New Zealand.

France: 15 Nans Ducuing, 14 Teddy Thomas, 13 Geoffrey Doumayrou, 12 Mathieu Bastareaud, 11 Yoann Huget, 10 Anthony Belleau, 9 Antoine Dupont, 8 Louis Picamoles, 7 Kevin Gourdon, 6 Judicael Cancoriet, 5 Paul Gabrillagues, 4 Sebastien Vahaamahina, 3 Rabah Slimani, 2 Guilhem Guirado (c), 1 Jefferson Poirot
Replacements: 16 Clement Maynadier, 17 Raphael Chaume, 18 Daniel Kotze, 19 Paul Jedrasiak, 20 Anthony Jelonch, 21 Baptiste Serin, 22 Francois Trinh-Duc, 23 Damian Penaud

Date: Saturday, November 11
Venue: Stade de France, Saint-Denis
Kick-off: 20:45 local (19:45 GMT)
Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia)
Assistant referees: Matthew Carley (England), Tom Foley (England)
TMO: Rowan Kitt (England)

The post Belleau to make French bow appeared first on Planet Rugby.