Antoine Dupont will return to captain defending champions France for Thursday evening's Guinness Six Nations curtain-raiser against Ireland in Paris.
The Toulouse scrum-half has not played at international level since rupturing the ACL in his right knee during Les Bleus' 42-27 win in Dublin last March.
Head coach Fabien Galthie raised some eyebrows by leaving centre Gael Fickou and wing Damian Penaud out of his squad for the championship but has named a formidable backline.
In the absence of injured fly-half Romain Ntamack, Matthieu Jalibert will partner Dupont, while Louis Bielle-Biarrey - last year's player of the tournament after scoring eight tries - starts on the left wing.
Cian Prendergast and Jacob Stockdale start as Tadhg Furlong misses out of Six Nations opener
Yoram Moefana is joined by Nicolas Depoortere in midfield, with Theo Attissogbe on the right wing and Thomas Ramos at full-back.
Galthie also overlooked former captain Gregory Alldritt for his squad before veteran prop Uini Atonio was forced to retire due to a heart problem.
Anthony Jelonch takes Alldritt's place at number eight, between flankers Francois Cros and Oscar Jegou.
Props Jean-Baptiste Gros and Dorian Aldegheri pack down with hooker Julian Marchand in the front row, ahead of locks Charles Ollivon and Mickael Guillard.
France: T Ramos; T Attissogbe, N Depoortere, Y Moefana, L Bielle-Biarrey; M Jalibert, A Dupont (capt); J Gros, J Marchand, D Aldegheri, C Ollivon, M Guillard, F Cros, O Jegou, A Jelonch.
Replacements: P Mauvaka, R Neti, R Montagne, H Auradou, E Meafou, L Nouchi, B Serin, K Gourgues.
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