French pick captain on bench
2005-06-14 21:31
Michael Green
Durban - The French rugby team will start Saturday's Test against the Springboks without their new captain, Dimitri Yachvili, who has been picked on the bench.
He is one of seven players who were involved in the tough final of the French clubs last week. Biarritz beat Stade Francaise in the final.
Yachvili and all the other players in the tour squad who played in the final, with the exception of tighthead Sylvian Marconnet, have been given a chance to recover.
Announcing his team, French coach Bernard Laporte said: "I have confidence in my players."
However, it was quite a surprise when he named the other scrumhalf, Jean-Baptiste Elissalde as captain. The 27-year-old player was included at the eleventh hour after Pierre Mignon was injured.
It will be the first time that Elissalde will captain France and, to top it all, he will also be the goalkicker on Saturday.
Laporte said he was taking this step to put less pressure on flyhalf Frederic Michalak.
Three to make their debut
"He is a wonderful player, but he must learn to play less for himself and more for the team," said Laporte.
Michalak was the regular goalkicker prior to this year's Six Nations.
Three players will make their debut on Saturday. They are lock Romain Millo-Chlusaki, left wing Julien Candelon and outside centre Florian Fritz.
Candelon is apparently a wing following in the footsteps of Christophe Dominici, who withdrew from the squad as a result of a stomach injury.
He is also quite short, has a great turn of speed, is aggressive and likes adventure.
Five backs are from Toulouse, which means they understand each other well.
Laporte said he did not really know the present Springboks, but he saw on television that the forwards were big and strong.
"We will try to beat them again, like we did in 2001," Laporte said.
Against all expectations, the Tricolors beat SA 32-23 at Ellis Park in the first Test of that series.
The coach said: "We have a proud tradition and just because we are giving some players the opportunity to rest, it does not mean that we will not try our best to win."
The Boks will come up against the experienced loose forward Olivier Magne, whose flank team-mate is the exciting Yannick Nyanga, born in Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
One of world's top three props
Former Bok coach Nick Mallett, who knows French rugby well, regards tighthead Marconnet as one of the three best props in world rugby.
His tussle with Os du Randt is expected to be a highlight.
The French team: Julien Laharrague, Cedric Heymans, Florian Fritz, Yannick Jauzion, Julien Candelon, Frederic Michalak, Jean-Baptiste Elissalde, Julien Bonnaire, Olivier Magne, Yannick Nyanga, Pascal Pape, Romain Millo-Chluski, Sylvain Marconnet, Sebastien Bruno, Olivier Milloud.
Replacements: William Servat, Pieter de Villiers, Gregory Lamboley, Remy Martin, Dimitri Yachvili, Benoit Baby, Nicolas Brusque.
- Die Burger