France spring two surprises
France coach Jacques Brunel confirmed predictions of two surprise selections by naming Arthur Iturria at flanker and Clermont teammate Damian Penaud on the left wing for their Test against South Africa in Paris on Saturday.
Iturria, 24, has played at lock in all three of his previous France games but has been pulled back a notch by Brunel following a recent switch of position at his Top 14 club.
Iturria’s last cap for France came against Scotland at the Six Nations last February, when he was one of several partygoers from the France team sidelined from the squad.
The 22-year-old Penaud will make his first France appearance since playing against Japan in November 2017. In his previous five appearances he played at centre but, having played five of his seven Top 14 matches so far this season on the wing, will follow suit against South Africa.
His inclusion comes in spite of some fine performances at centre this season from Stade Francais’ Gael Fickou, who has often played on the wing for France.
Maxime Medard is preferred to Benjamin Fall at fullback with Geoffrey Doumayrou and Mathieu Bastareaud in the centres.
Penaud will operate just behind club teammate Camille Lopez. Now injury-free he returns, to flyhalf, for the first time since the 2017 Six Nations.
Lopez will be without Clermont teammate Morgan Parra, who withdrew from the squad because of injury.
Instead, Bordeaux-Begles’ Baptiste Serin is at scrumhalf where he is preferred to Antoine Dupont, who only returned from a serious knee injury in October.
“[Serin] is having a great start to the season, he’s played a lot of quality games,” said France mentor.
“Dupont came back to the fold late following his injury but has showed he’s coming back to form in recent matches,” he added.