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Second-string France to test transitional Aussies

French lock and flanker Sebastien Chabal, center, does stretching exercises with teammates during the rugby union team's training session in Sydney on Tuesday. France will play the Wallabies in Sydney tomorrow and in Brisbane next Saturday. PHOTO: AFP

France may have left behind most of their best players for the domestic championship play-offs, but they are still expected to test the transitional Wallabies tomorrow.

The French have just one survivor from last year’s World Cup semi-final loss to England in their lineup, but coach Marc Lievremont has warned Australia to underestimate his side at their peril.

“If the Wallabies underestimate us, that is not my problem,” Lievremont said yesterday.

“We haven’t got our best players but they also met difficulties against Ireland. Better if they underestimate us. One thing is sure, we don’t underestimate them. There are a few players missing, but to me this team is balanced. We chose to put out as many experienced players as possible,” he said.

Only Biarritz center Damien Traille remains from the starting team that lost 14-9 to England in Paris last October, with back-rowers Sebastien Chabal and Imanol Harinordoquy replacements coming off the bench that day.

The Australians had to pull out all the stops to preserve an 18-12 win over Ireland in Melbourne a fortnight ago in their first outing under New Zealander Robbie Deans, who is now demanding more from his team.

“We’re still in the early stages. They made a good start, but not a great start. We’ll need to be better,” Deans said.

Deans wants an improved kick-chase defense against what he considers to be a superior French outfit to the one which finished third in this year’s Six Nations tournament.

“Against this team, this French side, they’ll sting us. If we present a chase line as flawed as it was in Melbourne, they’ll bite us,” he said. “I’m expecting improvement. I’m very conscious of the fact that without improvement we won’t get home where we were lucky enough to get home against Ireland.”

One area the unchanged Australians are expecting France to target them is in the scrum.

“They’re French so scrummaging for them is a way of life and [hooker Sebastien] Bruno and [Lionel] Faure the loose-head have had combination at [English club] Sale,” forwards coach Michael Foley said.

“They’ll also have Chabal packing in behind them who’s also with them at the same club so there’s combination there for them,” he said. “Both locks are big, physical guys and certainly with the captain [Lionel Nallet] in the tight five it suggests the approach that they’ll have to the game.”

The Wallabies yesterday lost tight-head prop Matt Dunning with a bruised leg. He was replaced by Al Baxter with prop Ben Alexander called up from the Australia A team to join the reserves.

France, who haven’t won in Australia since their 28-19 victory in Sydney in 1990 four tours ago, are giving Brive winger Alexis Palisson and Biarritz prop Benoit Lecouls their Test debuts.

Teams (15 to 1)

Australia: Cameron Shepherd; Peter Hynes, Stirling Mortlock (captain), Berrick Barnes, Lote Tuqiri; Matt Giteau, Luke Burgess; Wycliff Palu, George Smith, Rocky Elsom; Nathan Sharpe, James Horwill; Al Baxter, Stephen Moore, Benn Robinson.

Reserves: Adam Freier, Ben Alexander, Dean Mumm, Phil Waugh, Sam Cordingly, Ryan Cross, Adam Ashley-Cooper.



France: Pepito Elhorga; Alexis Palisson, Francois Trinh-Duc, Damien Traille, Benjamin Thiery; Benjamin Boyet, Dimitri Yachvili; Louis Picamoles, Fulgence Ouedraogo, Imanol Harinordoquy; Lionel Nallet (captain), Sebastien Chabal; Benoit Lecouls, Sebastien Bruno, Lionel Faure.

Reserves: Benjamin Kayser, Renaud Boyoud, David Couzinet, Matthieu Lievremont, Sebastien Tillous-Bordes, Thubault Lacroix, David Janin.



Referee: Mark Lawrence (RSA).
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