Noves ‘changes’ almost entire France backline versus Japan
Henshaw ruled out, Byrne gets debut
MARCOUSSIS, France, Nov 23, (AFP): France coach Guy Noves has changed six of his seven backs for Saturday’s international Test match against Japan.
Noves announced eight changes in total to his starting line-up announced on Thursday from last week’s 18-17 defeat to South Africa.
Of the backs, only wing Teddy Thomas retains his place while Noves is handing debuts to flanker Sekou Macalou and wing Gabriel Lacroix, the two star performers in a French XV that ran a second string All Blacks close in Lyon 10 days ago.
In the pack, lock Romain Taofifenua, whose brother and prop Sebastien retains his place on the bench, is the only other new face. Team (15-1) Scott Spedding; Teddy Thomas, Damian Penaud, Henry Chavancy, Gabriel Lacroix; Francois Trinh-Duc, Baptiste Serin; Louis Picamoles, Sekou Macalou, Judicael Cancoriet; Sebastien Vahaamahina, Romain Taofifenua; Rabah Slimani, Guilhem Guirado (capt), Jefferson Poirot
Replacements: Camille Chat, Sebastien Taofifenua, Daniel Kotze, Paul Jedrasiak, Fabien Sanconnie, Antoine Dupont, Mathieu Bastareaud, Hugo Bonneval
An injury to Robbie Henshaw has obliged Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt to select an inexperienced centre pairing for Saturday’s Test against Argentina at Lansdowne Road.
Bundee Aki and Chris Farrell, boasting just two caps between them, will line-up as the Irish seek to make it three wins from three November Tests after Henshaw suffered a suspected hamstring injury this week.
Schmidt gives Leinster wing Adam Byrne his Test debut, after a breakthrough season last year ending a nightmare run of injuries which had seen him break a leg twice, against a Pumas side that destroyed Irish World Cup hopes in the 2015 quarter-finals. Team (15-1) Rob Kearney; Adam Byrne, Chris Farrell, Bundee Aki, Jacob Stockdale; Johnny Sexton, Conor Murray; CJ Stander, Sean O’Brien, Peter O’Mahony; Iain Henderson, James Ryan; Tadhg Furlong, Rory Best (capt), Cian Healy
Replacements (16-23): James Tracy, Dave Kilcoyne, John Ryan, Devin Toner, Rhys Ruddock, Luke McGrath, Ian Keatley, Andrew Conway
Coach: Joe Schmidt (NZL) Indian pace attack that took all of the 17 Sri Lankan wickets that fell during the rain-hit first Test, which ended in a draw.
Kohli said he wanted his players to get used to the fast and bouncy tracks that await in venues like Johannesburg and Cape Town, which will host the opening Test.
“We thought this is an ample opportunity for us to challenge ourselves, put us in a situation ... As I said, we want to embrace being in difficult conditions,” said Kohli.
“I am not saying everyone will go out and perform immediately but if we can feel comfortable about it after one, two or three innings everybody will come good and once you come good we will get that confidence,” he said.
Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal called it a “good Test wicket” and backed his top spinner Rangana Herath to come good in Nagpur, after he went wicketless in Kolkata.
“We saw so much grass at Eden Gardens, this is much less. This looks a good Test pitch. It’s a challenge for us as a team,” Chandimal said.
“Of course Rangana Herath is a wily old fox. On these wickets he can be handy.
We have Dilruwan (Perera) as well in our ranks.”
Kohli said India spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja would also be invaluable with their all-round abilities.
The spin duo have delivered 19 five-wicket hauls between them in Asia since the 2015 South Africa series, as well as valuable contributions with the bat.
“We count them as all-rounders because they have proven themselves in difficult situations and they have made important contributions for the team,” he said.
“So they are not tail-enders any more, they are proper all-rounders. (Their) ranking does justice to that. It gives us good balance when we play them both.”