Antoine Dupont returns as France make 13 changes to face Scotland in Saint-Etienne

France's scrum-half Antoine Dupont signs a rugby ball for a young fan after a training session at the Bourret stadium, in Capbreton, southwestern France. He will captain Les Bleus against Scotland. (Photo by GAIZKA IROZ/AFP via Getty Images)

France have brought back their big guns for the rematch with Scotland in Saint-Etienne, with head coach Fabien Galthie making 13 changes to the side which lost at Murrayfield last weekend.

Only flanker Paul Boudehent, who won his first cap in Edinburgh, and second row forward Cameron Woki remain from the team that started the 25-21 defeat. It means a return for their stellar names, led by scrum-half and captain Antoine Dupont who will be partnered at half-back by his Toulouse team-mate Romain Ntamack. Outside them will be centres Jonathan Danty and Gael Fickou, with the back three composed of wings Gabin Villière and Damian Penaud and full-back Thomas Ramos in a completely revamped backline.

Gregory Alldritt, a cornerstone of the French pack, returns at No 8 and will have Charles Ollivon and Boudehent either side of him. In the second row, Paul Willemse was injured in training this week and Romain Taofifenua is nursing a thigh injury, so Woki partners the Toulouse lock Thibaud Flament. The front row is made up of Cyril Baille, Julien Marchand and Dorian Aldegheri, the latter preferred to Uini Atonio, who will start on the bench where Galthie has gone for a six-two forwards-backs split, the same as Scotland. Louis Bielle-Biarrey, the Bordeaux winger who made a try-scoring debut at Murrayfield, is among the replacements.

While last weekend’s game in Scotland was France’s first World Cup warm-up and a chance to experiment, the follow-up game sees Galthie selected a team closer to what most would consider his strongest. However, the coach denied his side for this Saturday would necessarily mirror his line-up for the eagerly awaited tournament opener against New Zealand in Paris on September 8. “It’s impossible to respond,” Galthie told reporters. “You know as well as I do that everything can happen in a match. You will have to wait for us to announce the team to face New Zealand.”

France: 15. Thomas Ramos; 14. Damian Penaud, 13. Gael Fickou, 12. Jonathan Danty, 11. Gabin Villiere; 10. Romain Ntamack, 9. Antoine Dupont (capt); 1. Cyril Baille, 2. Julien Marchand, 3. Dorian Aldegheri, 4. Cameron Woki, 5. Thibaud Flament, 6. Paul Boudehent, 7. Charles Ollivon, 8. Gregory Alldritt.

Replacements: 16. Pierre Bourgarit, 17. Jean-Baptiste Gros, 18. Uini Atonio, 19. Florian Verhaeghe, 20. Bastien Chalureau, 21. Sekou Macalou, 22. Maxime Lucu, 23. Louis Bielle-Biarrey.