FRANCE: RUGBY UNION - French coach Bernard Laporte makes major changes for Rugby World Cup group D game against Namibia

After losing to Argentina in their first rugby World Cup match, French coach Bernard Laporte has made major changes for the game against Namibia. France coach Bernard Laporte on Wednesday (September 12) overhauled his line-up for Sunday's Pool D World Cup match against Namibia, making 13 changes to the side that were stunned by Argentina in the tournament opener. Laporte replaced a majority of the team that lost 17-12 to the Pumas on Friday, retaining only prop Pieter de Villiers and inside centre Damien Traille. Captain Raphael Ibanez will be on the bench for the match in Toulouse while scrumhalf Jean-Baptiste Elissalde takes over as skipper. Halfbacks Pierre Mignoni and David Skrela are among the players dropped from the 22-man squad following the defeat, which leaves the hosts in danger of making an early exit or having to face favourites New Zealand in Cardiff in the quarter-finals. Team: 15-Clement Poitrenaud, 14-Vincent Clerc, 13-David Marty, 12-Damien Traille, 11-Cedric Heymans, 10-Frederic Michalak, 9-Jean-Baptiste Elissalde (captain), 8-Julien Bonnaire, 7-Thierry Dusautoir, 6-Yannick Nyanga, 5-Lionel Nallet, 4-Sebastien Chabal, 3-Pieter de Villiers, 2-Dimitri Szarzewski, 1-Jean-Baptiste Poux. Replacements: 16-Raphael Ibanez, 17-Nicolas Mas, 18-Fabien Pelous, 19-Imanol Harinordoquy, 20-Lionel Beauxis, 21-Yannick Jauzion, 22-Aurelien Rougerie.

ITN Source | September 13, 2007

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