5 changes for France against South Africa

Coach Philippe Saint-Andre on Thursday made five changes to his starting lineup for Saturday's match with South Africa at the Stade de France. The French defeated Tonga 38-18 last Saturday in a bruising encounter at Le Havre, having lost to New Zealand the previous week Back into the walk-on team come flanker Wenceslas Lauret, lock Pascal Pape, hooker Benjamin Kayser, centre Wesley Fofana and full-back Brice Dulin. There is also a start for lock Yoann Maestri, despite him having been sent off for fighting against Tonga. Maestri was facing a lengthy suspension for his actions but a disciplinary committee took a lenient view and he was spared any match bans. The team is almost identical to the one that lost 26-19 to the All Blacks in the first of the November tests with the exception of Sofiane Guitoune, who replaces Maxime Medard. "This is a team which shows a lot of continuity from the first two games," said Saint-Andre of his selection. "We are getting ourselves ready for a huge challenge taking on the second best team in the world. They put a lot of intensity into their games and are very physical. It will be a top-class match." In keeping with what he told his squad ahead of the match against the All Blacks, Saint-Andre said that they had to play their own game with speed and intensity. "They are a powerful team," he said of the Springboks. "They have put six forwards on the bench, so we know what to expect. It is up to us to get our tactics and strategy right, both physically and mentally to produce a top match. "Defensively we need to be very good and very good with our tackling. They are good technically, but above all they depend pn their power and their pack. "They have just beaten the champions of Europe in Wales by three tries to nil and Scotland under the rain by four tries to nil. "Yoann Huget, Florian Fritz and Wenceslas Lauret were rested (last week) and we expect them to bring in mental and physical freshness." The France team named on Thursday to play South Africa in a rugby union Test match at the Stade de France on Saturday:- Brice Dulin; Sofiane Guitoune, Florian Fritz, Wesley Fofana, Yoann Huget; Rémi Talès, Morgan Parra; Damien Chouly, Wenceslas Lauret, Thierry Dusautoir (capt); Yoann Maestri, Pascal Papé; Nicolas Mas, Benjamin Kayser, Yannick Forestier Replacements: Dimitri Szarzewski, Thomas Domingo, Rabah Slimani, Sébastien Vahaamahina, Yannick Nyanga, Jean-Marc Doussain, Frédéric Michalak, Mathieu Bastareaud Source:AFP