France Team V All Blacks Bordeaux Flyer Handed Debut As Fabien Galthie Makes Four Changes

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France team v All Blacks: Bordeaux flyer handed debut as Fabien Galthie makes four changes
France team v All Blacks: Bordeaux flyer handed debut as Fabien Galthie makes four changes from

France team v All Blacks: Bordeaux flyer handed debut as Fabien Galthie makes four changes

Bordeaux-Begles winger Lester Etien has been handed a debut while scrum-half Nolann Le Garrec, lock Cameron Woki and loose-head prop Sipili Falatea all return to the starting XV as part of the four changes made by Fabien Galthie to his France team to face New Zealand.

Etien replaces Matthis Lebel on the left wing after the Toulouse flyer suffered an ankle injury in training this week, while Le Garrec comes in for the suspended Antoine Dupont at scrum-half.

Toulouse lock Thibaud Flament drops to the bench, with Woki moving back into the second row alongside Paul Willemse, and Falatea replaces Uini Atonio at loose-head prop, with the latter moving to tight-head following the injury to Demba Bamba.

It means that France will field an unchanged back three of Etien, Damian Penaud and Ethan Dumortier, with captain Antoine Dupont and Romain Ntamack continuing their half-back partnership.

There is also one change among the replacements, with Lyon back-rower Dylan Cretin coming in for Toulouse flanker Francois Cros.

France have won their last two matches against New Zealand, including a 40-25 victory in Paris last November, and will be looking to make it three in a row for the first time since 1973.

However, the All Blacks will be determined to bounce back from their defeat to Ireland last weekend and will be confident of victory in front of their home crowd.

France team to face New Zealand:

Replacements: