OITA - Key French backs Antoine
Dupont and Damian Penaud have been passed fit to play in the
World Cup quarter-final against Wales and were included in the
starting line-up by coach Jacques Brunel on Friday.
Scrumhalf Dupont had a back problem while winger Penaud had
an abdominal strain but both men, who have been in sharp form in
Japan and in the warm-up games, have recovered well enough to
play on Sunday.
Brunel has largely returned to the team that started their
opening game over Argentina, though with Bernard Le Roux
starting instead of Arthur Iturria in the second row.
However, there was no place in the 23 for exciting winger
Alivereti Raka, a tryscorer against the United States and Tonga.
France have won only one of the teams' last eight meetings
since beating Wales in the semi-finals of the 2011 tournament.
Fullback Maxime Medard is the only survivor from that match in
New Zealand.
France team
: 15-Maxime Medard, 14-Damian Penaud, 13-Virimi
Vakatawa, 12-Gael Fickou, 11-Yoann Huget, 10-Romain Ntamack,
9-Antoine Dupont, 8-Gregory Alldritt, 7-Charles Ollivon,
6-Wenceslas Lauret, 5-Sebastien Vahaamahina, 4-Bernard Le Roux,
3-Rabah Slimani, 2-Guilhem Guirado (captain), 1-Jefferson Poirot
Replacements:
16-Camille Chat, 17-Cyril Baille, 18-Emerick
Setiano, 19-Paul Gabrillagues, 20-Louis Picamoles, 21-Baptiste
Serin, 22-Camille Lopez, 23-Vincent Rattez.