Antoine Dupont will make his return to the France team as captain for Saturday’s Test against Japan after sitting out the last 13 months of international duty.
Dupont’s last run-out in blue at 15s came in the Rugby World Cup quarter-final defeat by eventual champions South Africa a little over a year ago.
Dupont will partner Toulouse teammate Thomas Ramos at half-back, the latter preferred over Matthieu Jalibert to start at flyhalf. There is a debut for Bayonne prop Tevita Tatafu, while Gael Fickou drops to the bench for the first time since 2019, Yoram Moefana and Emilien Gailleton were named in midfield.Head coach Fabien Galthie insisted that not starting Fickou, the long-time defensive leader who has been a shoo-in for his last 48 matches, was not a slight.
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