Chabal to switch roles

The Sale Sharks forward has been playing in the second row for most of the season for club and country, but he has been named as a flanker for 'Le Crunch'.

Les Bleus head coach Marc Lievremont has beefed up his pack by bringing in Lionel Faure and Jerome Thion while Francois Trinh-Duc starts at fly-half in place of Benoit Baby, who injured his knee in the win over Wales a week and a half ago.

Mathieu Bastareaud keeps his place at centre alongside Yannick Jauzion, despite the return from suspension of Florian Fritz.

In all, there are three changes in personnel to the team that started against the Welsh. Chabal started at lock against Ireland and Wales, and played in the second row during the November Tests and for Sale over the past four months.

The back row is his usual department, although he will not be in his favoured number-eight position, Lievremont sticking with the in-form Imanol Harinordoquy at the back of the scrum.

"He is a versatile player," Lievremont said of Chabal. "He can play in both departments with just as much success. And he will be up against players he knows well."

That will have been one of the factors behind the recall of prop Lionel Faure, Chabal's colleague at Sale who was left out of the matchday 22 for the victory over Wales that has kickstarted France's Six Nations campaign.

Faure replaces Fabien Barcella, who will be Les Bleus' 23rd man on Sunday. Thion has benefited from the injury to Romain Millo-Chluski and comes in at lock for Chabal, who in turn moves to number seven in place of Fulgence Ouedraogo, dropped from the squad completely.

Behind the scrum, scrum-half Morgan Parra will again assume kicking duties and will be partnered by Trinh-Duc, the young Montpellier fly-half back in favour with Lievremont.