Hi °C | Lo °C France have plumped for the experience of four stalwarts of the Bernard Laporte reign for their RBS 6 Nations Championship match against England at Twickenham on Sunday week.
Head coach Marc Lievremont vowed he would freshen up his squad following last Friday's hard-fought 21-16 win over Wales at the Stade de France, and he has been true to his word, making four changes in personnel to his 23-man group for 'Le Crunch'.
Jerome Thion, Julien Bonnaire, Damien Traille and Florian Fritz - a quartet rarely seen for Les Bleus since the 2007 World Cup - are recalled to the squad at the expense of Fulgence Ouedraogo, Louis Picamoles, Clement Poitrenaud and Benoit Baby.
And, interestingly, Sebastien Chabal returns to his usual place in the back row, having played at lock for France and Sale since November.
The changes beef up Les Bleus' squad for what is expected to be a physical battle against Martin Johnson's men, who will be hurting after being heavily criticised for their indisciplined display in the defeat to Ireland on Saturday.
"We want to say to those who leave the squad that they haven't disappointed us, that they haven't been dropped," said Lievremont.
"But we have said we were keen to inject some life into this squad, to involve those players who deserve their recalls.
"We haven't looked at the age of the players; it is all about current form."
Biarritz lock Thion and Clermont-Auvergne flanker Bonnaire were major figures in the final few years of the Laporte era, but have not featured for Lievremont's Les Bleus since last year's Six Nations.
Traille, who earned the last of his 66 caps in the defeat to Australia in November, has been a bit-part player under Lievremont but is in form for Biarritz and can play a number of posts in a back division.
