France boss brings in new faces
TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: France head coach Fabien Galthie on Thursday handed debuts to lock Thomas Jolmes and number eight Yoan Tanga for the first rugby Test against Japan in Toyota on Saturday.
The 2023 World Cup hosts have brought a young squad to Japan with several of the players who led them to the Six Nations Grand Slam this season rested.
Flank Charles Ollivon returns to captain the side after missing the Six Nations through injury.
Several of Galthie’s starting line-up played in the Barbarians’ 52-21 thrashing of England at Twickenham two weeks ago.
The coach said he wants to see his young side “grab the opportunity” in a France jersey.
“It’s a hungry team,” said Galthie.
“Everything is possible. We often tell the players when they come into the locker room ‘it is you who takes the shirt’. We are here to put out and prepare the best team but it is you who are the authors of your own destiny.”
Galthie said he had “no doubts” that flank Ollivon was ready to resume the captaincy after suffering a knee injury in June 2021.
He played a key part in taking Toulon to the European Challenge Cup final last month and impressed while leading the Barbarians.
“He is very comfortable, he has regained his abilities and he is stringing together some matches,” Galthie said.
“He has already proved himself with the game against England and he has a second captaincy and a new chapter with the France team.”
Temperatures are expected to soar to 35 degrees Celsius for the Saturday afternoon kick-off, with Japan seeing record June temperatures this week.
Japan head coach Jamie Joseph said earlier Thursday that the conditions would suit Japan, and France team manager Rafael Ibanez is wary of the home team’s threat.
“This is a team that plays exciting rugby, full of energy,” he said of Japan, who beat Uruguay 43-7 last week.
“A team with players who have a sense of sacrifice, who know how to push their limits. It will require us to adapt and we expect a tough match.”
France: 15 Melvyn Jaminet, 14 Damian Penaud, 13 Virimi Vakatawa, 12 Yoram Moefana, 11 Mattis Lebel, 10 Matthieu Jalibert, 9 Maxime Lucu, 8 Yoan Tanga, 7 Dylan Cretin, 6 Charles Ollivon (captain), 5 Thomas Jolmes, 4 Thibaud Flament, 3 Demba Bamba, 2 Peato Mauvaka, 1 Jean-Baptiste Gros
Replacements: 16 Pierre Bourgarit, 17 Dany Priso, 18 Sipili Falatea, 19 Thomas Lavault, 20 Selevasio Tolofua, 21 Sekou Macalou, 22 Baptiste Couilloud, 23 Antoine Hastoy
Date: Saturday, July 2
Venue: Toyota Stadium, Japan
Kick-off: 15.00 (08.00 French time; 06.00 GMT)
Referee: Frank Murphy (IRFU)
Assistant Referees: Mike Adamson (SRU) & Chris Busby (IRFU)
TMO: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)
