Spedding handed French debut
South African-born fullback Scott Spedding will make his international debut when he runs out for France against Fiji in Marseille on Saturday.
The Bayonne player represented South Africa Under-21 in the 2006 World Championship and will be joined by fellow South African Rory Kockott, who starts the match on the bench.
The 28-year-old, who joined Bayonne from Brive in 2012, was brought into the squad on Wednesday for the November Test series by coach Philippe Saint-Andre following an injury to first-choice fullback Brice Dulin.
With Maxime Medard also struggling for fitness with a groin injury, the door was suddenly opened for him to earn his first cap.
There were also first call-ups for two Racing Metro backs, centre Alexandre Dumoulin and wing Teddy Thomas.
Saint-Andre also went for a new partnership at halfback in the shape of Toulon's Sebastien Tillous-Borde and Camille Lopez of Clermont.
Thierry Dusautoir is retained as captain in a back row which contains South-African-born Bernard Le Roux and Damien Chouly.
The sweeping changes were widely expected after the disappointing summer tour to Australia, which saw the French lose all three Tests against the Wallabies.
Saint-Andre came under attack for his selection choices and tactics, but he has been given a vote of confidence to lead France into next year's World Cup in England.
"It's a very well-balanced team, very youthful behind the scrum with a half-back pairing that has two players on top form," the head coach said.
On the subject of foreign-born players being capped by France, which has sparked a lively debate in the country with some saying it demeaned the honour, Saint-Andre was adament.
"For me they are all French. They dream of pulling on the French shirt," he said.
Spedding and Le Roux apart, scrumhalf Rory Kockott is also born in South Africa, while prop Uini Atonio was born in New Zealand.
Both Kockott and Atonio were named among the replacements.
The Fiji match is the first of three lined up for France in November to be followed by Australia and Argentina, both to be played in Paris
France: 15 Scott Spedding, 14 Yoann Huget, 13 Alexandre Dumoulin, 12 Wesley Fofana, 11 Teddy Thomas, 10 Camille Lopez, 9 Sebastien Tillous-Borde, 8 Damien Chouly, 7 Bernard LeRoux, 6 Thierry Dusautoir (captain), 5 Yoann Maestri, 4 Pascal Papé, 3 Nicolas Mas, 2 Guilhem Guirado, 1 Alexandre Ménini.
Replacements: 16 Benjamin Kayser, 17 Uini Atonio, 18 Xavier Chiocci, 19 Alexandre Flanquart, 20 Sebastien Vahaamahina, 21 Charles Ollivon, 22 Rory Kockott, 23 Remi Tales, 24 Mathieu Bastareaud, 25 Maxime Mermoz.
Date: Saturday, November 8
Venue: Stade Veledrome, Marseille
Kick-off: 17.45 (16.45 GMT, Sunday, November 9, 05.45 Fiji Time)
Referee: Glen Jackson (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Mike Fraser (New Zealand), Federico Anselmi (Argentina)
TMO: Stefano Pennè (Italy)
