Star scrum-half Antoine Dupont returns to captain the side and is joined in the half-backs by fly-half 24-year-old Matthieu Jalibert.
Jalibert, who has 25 caps, stands in for the injured Romain Ntamack, who will miss the tournament with a knee injury.
“Getting close to 30 caps is a real milestone, he’s in the process of reaching a milestone in his growth, and also with his individual and collective experience with the squad,” said Galthie.
“There’s no debate about his potential, and his ability to handle the position of No. 10 before playing Australia.”
Just five players who started the 34-17 victory over Fiji last week in Nantes remain as Galthie has selected a matchday 23 similar to what we can expect for the World Cup opener against New Zealand on September 8.
Former captain Charles Ollivon and former Wasps lock Thibaud Flament return to the back five of the pack, while prop Jean-Baptiste Gros and hooker Julian Marchand are drafted into the front row alongside Uini Atonio.
This story is from the August 27, 2023 edition of The Rugby Paper.
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This story is from the August 27, 2023 edition of The Rugby Paper.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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