France have named a new halfback pairing with Nolann Le Garrec starting alongside Romain Ntamack for Saturday's Test against South Africa at the Stade de France (8.10pm Irish time), with captain Antoine Dupont still unavailable after a knee ligament injury.
France coach Fabien Galthie said South Africa were "the best team in the world" as his side prepare to meet the world champions at the venue where the Springboks knocked them out of the 2023 World Cup.
Ntamack, who said the impact of the World Cup quarter-final defeat had "gone well beyond the 23 players who were on the field that day", will steer the backline with Le Garrec, who comes in for Dupont.
In Dupont’s absence, centre Gael Fickou will captain the side. France have also gone for a 6:2 split on the bench in anticipation of a physical contest.
The most notable omission is number 8 Gregory Alldritt, making way for Lyon’s Mickael Guillard who impressed on the July tour when he was twice voted man of the match by French staff.
Props Baptiste Erdocio (Montpellier) and Regis Montagne (Clermont), also rewarded for that tour, will start.
Siya Kolisi (above) will become the ninth player to earn 100 caps for South Africa when he leads the side in Paris.
Kolisi has been a stalwart for the Springboks for a decade and was also captain when they lifted the William Webb Ellis trophy in 2019.
"This is a huge milestone for Siya and we are all delighted for him," Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus said. "He is a level-headed player and although this will be a big occasion for him, he is fully focused on the task at hand.
"The entire team knows how determined France will be to make up for the World Cup result, so we'll celebrate Siya’s achievement after the match. That said, hopefully we can make it a memorable game for him."
Kolisi forms part of a back row on Saturday that also includes flanker Pieter-Steph du Toit and number eight Jasper Wiese. Eben Etzebeth and Lood de Jager are in the second row.
Prop Boan Venter has been selected as the replacement for the injured Ox Nche, and packs down with Thomas du Toit and hooker Malcolm Marx.
The mercurial Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu has been retained at flyhalf with Cobus Reinach in the number nine jersey, and a centre pairing of Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel.
Kurt-Lee Arendse and Cheslin Kolbe are on the wings, with Damian Willemse returning from a hamstring injury to start at fullback.
France: Thomas Ramos; Damian Penaud, Pierre-Louis Barassi, Gael Fickou (capt), Louis Bielle-Biarrey; Romain Ntamack, Nolann Le Garrec; Baptiste Erdocio, Julien Marchand, Regis Montagne; Thibaud Flament, Emmanuel Meafou; Anthony Jelonch, Paul Boudehent, Mickael Guillard.
Replacements: Guillaume Cramont, Jean-Baptiste Gros, Dorian Aldegheri, Romain Taofifenua, Hugo Auradou, Oscar Jegou, Maxime Lucu, Nicolas Depoortere.
South Africa: Damian Willemse; Cheslin Kolbe, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Kurt-Lee Arendse; Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Cobus Reinach; Boan Venter, Malcolm Marx, Thomas du Toit; Eben Etzebeth, Lood de Jager; Siya Kolisi, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Jasper Wiese.
Replacements: Johan Grobbelaar; Gerhard Steenekamp, Wilco Louw, RG Snyman, Ruan Nortje, Andre Esterhuizen, Grant Williams, Manie Libbok.
Elsewhere, Leicester Fainga'anuku (above) will start at outside centre as one of three changes to the New Zealand starting XV that beat Ireland for their Autumn International series clash with Scotland at Murrayfield on Saturday (3.10pm), as Ardie Savea takes over the captaincy of the team.
Fainga’anuku replaces Jordie Barrett (ankle) in the midfield, while Josh Lord comes into the lock position with regular skipper Scott Barrett (leg laceration) not available.
Quinn Tupaea moves from outside to inside centre to accommodate Fainga’anuku, who came off the bench to great effect in the 26-13 win in Chicago last weekend.
The other change to the run-on side sees flanker Wallace Sititi start in the back row of the scrum in place of Simon Parker, who drops out of the match-day 23.
Sam Darry (lock), Du’Plessis Kirifi (loose-forward) and Billy Proctor (centre) are among the replacements added to the bench this week.
The last surviving Barrett brother, Beauden, remains at fly-half with livewire Cam Roigard at scrum-half. Caleb Clarke and Leroy Carter are the two wings, and Will Jordan continues at full-back.
Hooker Codie Taylor will scrum down with props Ethan de Groot and Fletcher Newell either side of him, while Fabian Holland partners Lord in the second row and Peter Lakai is at number 8.
New Zealand have never lost a test against the Scots, winning 30 of the previous 32 played since 1905. The two draws came in 1964 (0-0) and 1983 (25-25).
"We have a proud history with Scotland and recent games between us have been close," New Zealand coach Scott Robertson said. "We have named the best team to reflect the challenge we know Scotland will present."
Tests between the sides have been reasonably rare, with only five in the last 17 years. Scotland have not toured New Zealand since 2000.
The Scots are celebrating 100 years of playing at Murrayfield this week and New Zealand will have to counter the occasion as well as a tough home side.
Meanwhile, Scott Barrett will sit out most of the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season after exercising a clause in his contract to take a non-playing sabbatical following the All Blacks tour.
Canterbury Crusaders coach Rob Penney said Barrett's return would likely mirror the schedule followed by team-mate and fellow All Black Codie Taylor, who took a six-month sabbatical after the 2023 World Cup and came back for the last four games of Super Rugby.
"He's an iconic player, a legend. He can do what he likes," former Munster coach Penney said.
New Zealand: Will Jordan; Leroy Carter, Leicester Fainga'anuku, Quinn Tupaea, Caleb Clarke; Beauden Barrett, Cam Roigard; Ethan de Groot, Codie Taylor, Fletcher Newell; Josh Lord, Fabian Holland; Wallace Sititi, Ardie Savea (capt), Peter Lakai.
Replacements: Samisoni Taukei’aho, Tamaiti Williams, Pasilio Tosi, Sam Darry, Du’Plessis Kirifi, Cortez Ratima, Billy Proctor, Damian McKenzie.
Scotland: Blair Kinghorn; Darcy Graham, Rory Hutchinson, Sione Tuipulotu (capt), Kyle Stey; Finn Russell, Ben White; Pierre Schoeman, Ewan Ashman, D'Arcy Rae; Scott Cummings, Grant Gilchrist; Gregor Brown, Matt Fagerson, Jack Dempsey.
Replacements: George Turner, Rory Sutherland, Elliot Millar Mills, Marshall Sykes, Rory Darge, Josh Bayliss, Jamie Dobie, Tom Jordan.
Australia fly-half Carter Gordon (above) will play his first Test since the 2023 Rugby World Cup after being named in the starting XV for the clash with Italy in Udine on Saturday (5.40pm Irish time).
Gordon has returned to rugby union after a short stint in rugby league and recently signed a contract with the Queensland Reds through to 2028, making him a prospect to represent Australia at the 2027 Rugby World Cup on home soil.
He will partner namesake scrum-half Jake Gordon in what has been a problem position for coach Joe Schmidt in recent times due to injury and players being unavailable for selection.
Tane Edmed drops to the bench for this week.
Hooker Matt Faessler will feature for the side for the first time since the British and Irish Lions series in July and packs down with props Angus Bell, who will move to Ulster after the tour, and Taniela Tupou.
Nick Frost and Jeremy Williams continue in the second row, with Harry Wilson at number 8 and Tom Hooper and Fraser McReight the two flankers.
Hunter Paisami and Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii are the centre pairing, with Harry Potter and Corey Toole the two wings, the latter for the rested Max Jorgensen. Andrew Kellaway has been named at full-back.
Australia, whose only loss to Italy in 10 previous meetings came last time out in 2022 in a 28-27 defeat in Florence, are looking to bounce back from a 25-7 reversal at the hands of England last weekend.
Australia: Andrew Kellaway; Corey Toole, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Hunter Paisami, Harry Potter; Carter Gordon, Jake Gordon; Angus Bell, Matt Faessler, Taniela Tupou, Nick Frost, Jeremy Williams; Tom Hooper, Fraser McReight, Harry Wilson (capt).
Replacements: Billy Pollard, Aidan Ross, Zane Nonggorr, Rob Valetini, Pete Samu, Ryan Lonergan, Tane Edmed, Filipo Daugunu.
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