France Under-20s head coach Thomas Lièvremont has made six changes to his side for Friday’s clash with Italy in Cagliari.
France Under-20s head coach Thomas Lièvremont has made six changes to his side for Friday’s clash with Italy in Cagliari.
Les Bleuets fell to their second loss of the Under-20s Six Nations away to Ireland last time out, going down 27-22 despite fighting back from a 21-3 deficit.
Click here for the complete 2017 Under-20s Six Nations table
As a result Lièvremont has made changes, with three new faces in the backs, and the same number up front.
There is a new-look centre pairing with fit-again centre Alexandre Arrate of Biarritz combining with Stade Français’ Théo Millet.
At scrum-half Lyon’s Baptiste Couilloud returns to the starting line-up in place of Arthur Retière, while there are two changes to the front row.
Agen’s Florian Dufour comes in at hooker, while Ugo Boniface returns at loosehead prop, having come off the bench in the defeat to England.
#FranceU20 Les tricolores sont de retour au CNR pour s’entraîner. Ils ont a cœur de bien finir le tournoi. #ITAFRA pic.twitter.com/DIFjExCwca
— FF Rugby (@FFRugby) March 7, 2017
The final change sees Grenoble’s Killian Geraci brought into the back row in place of Julien Ruaud.
There are also some new faces on the bench with Alban Requet and Jérémy Valençot getting their first taste of the Championship this year.
France Under-20s team to take on Italy:
15. Romain Buros (Pau)
14. Faraj Fartass (Stade Français)
13. Théo Millet (Stade Français)
12. Alexandre Arrate (Biarritz)
11. William Iraguha (RC Massy)
10. Romain N’Tamack (Toulouse)
9. Baptiste Couilloud (Lyon)
1. Ugo Boniface (Bayonne)
2. Florian Dufour (Agen)
3. Thomas Laclayat (Oyonnax)
4. Florian Verhaeghe (Toulouse)
5. Mickaël Capelli (Grenoble)
6. Killian Geraci (Grenoble)
7. Dylan Crétin (Lyon)
8. Alexandre Roumat (Biarritz)
Replacements:
16. Léo Aouf (La Rochelle)
17. Etienne Fourcade (Grenoble)
18. Georges-Henri Colombe (Racing 92)
19. Alban Requet (Bordeaux-Bègles)
20. Cameron Woki (RC Massy)
21. Jérémy Valençot (Grenoble)
22. Pierre-Louis Barassi (Lyon)
23. Geoffrey Cros (Bordeaux-Bègles)