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Louis Picamoles starts at eight for France against Ireland

The France squad arrive for a training session at the Vale Resort in Hensol, south Wales
The France squad arrive for a training session at the Vale Resort in Hensol, south Wales

Number eight Louis Picamoles will start France's Pool D decider against Ireland on Sunday as one of two changes to the team who beat Canada in their previous Rugby World Cup game.

Picamoles, who replaces Bernard Le Roux in the back row, was rested by coach Philippe Saint-Andre for Les Bleus's 41-18 victory against Canada, which gave the French three wins out of three.



Winger Noa Nakaitaci is also back in place of Remy Grosso, while Damien Chouly switches to openside flanker to make way for Picamoles at number eight.

There are also two changes from the team which started the campaign with a 32-10 win over Italy.

Centre Wesley Fofana replaces Alexandre Dumoulin and utility back Brice Dulin takes the spot of winger Yoann Huget, who was forced to quit the tournament through injury.

Although both Ireland and France have already qualified for the quarter-finals, the losers of Sunday's game is likely to face holders New Zealand in the first round of the knock-out stage.

France XV: 1 Eddy Ben Arous, 2 Guilhem Guirado, 3 Rabah Slimani, 4 Pascal Pape, 5 Yoann Maestri, 6 Thierry Dusautoir (captain), 7 Damien Chouly, 8 Louis Picamoles; 9 Sebastien Tillous-Borde, 10 Frederic Michalak, 11 Brice Dulin, 12 Wesley Fofana, 13 Mathieu Bastareaud, 14 Noa Nakaitaci, 15 Scott Spedding

Replacements: 16 Benjamin Kayser, 17 Vincent Debaty, 18 Nicolas Mas, 19 Alexandre Flanquart, 20 Bernard Le Roux, 21 Morgan Parra, 22 Remi Tales, 23 Alexandre Dumoulin

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