Laporte changes only four
Bernard Laporte has resisted making wholesale changes to his team to play New Zealand on Saturday, making only four changes to the squad that lost 42-11 in the first Test last week.
Two of the changes are up front, with Bourgoin prop Olivier Sourgens replacing Nicolas Mas in the front row, and Damien Chouly replacing Gregory Le Corvec in the back row.
Jean-Philippe Grandclaude is replaced by Lionel Mazars in the centre, that change forced by a hand injury to Grandclaude.
On the wing, Julien Laharrague, who would have played last week but was dropped for a disciplinary reason after failing to turn up for a video analysis session, regains his spot at the expense of Bayonne wing Benjamin Thiery.
On the bench, there is likely to be a first appearance in a France shirt for Montpellier flanker Fulgence Ouedraogo.
Raphael Ibanez is left on the bench once more, with Bernard Laporte citing his long tiring season as the reason, and so Pascal Pape takes the captain’s armband once more.
France: 15 Thomas Castaignede, 14 Julien Laharrague, 13 Arnaud Mignardi, 12 Lionel Mazars, 11 Jean-Francois Coux, 10 Benjamin Boyet, 9 Nicolas Durand, 8 Sebastien Chabal, 7 Olivier Magne, 6 Damien Chouly, 5 Julien Pierre, 4 Pascal Pape, 3 Olivier Sourgens, 2 Sebastien Bruno, 1 Christian Califano.
Replacements: 16 Raphael Ibanez, 17 Nicolas Mas, 18 Olivier Olibeau, 19 Fulgence Ouedraogo, 20 Michael Forest, 21 Nicolas Laharrague, 22 Benjamin Thiery.
Date: Saturday, 9 June
Venue: Westpac Stadium, Wellington,
Kick-off: 19.35 (07.35 GMT)
Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa)
Touch judges: Stuart Dickinson (Australia), Paul Marks (Australia)
Television match official: Matt Goddard (Australia)
Assessor: Brendan McCormick (Australia)
