France and South Africa aim at November slam

France and South Africa clash at the Stade de France on Saturday each hoping to complete their November rugby series unbeaten.

France have beaten the Wallabies 26-16, Canada 50-6 and Tonga 43-8 while the Springboks have beaten Argentina 34-23 and Wales 33-16.

"It's the last trick of the tour, we want to take it," said France team manager Jo Maso.

"If we want to be regarded as favourites for the 2007 World Cup we have to stay unbeaten at home as the tournament will be played in France."

South Africa coach Jack White said it was "a very important game because it's the last of a very long season".

"We've had good results and we are the number two side in the world so we don't want to end the season on a disappointing note." After experimenting with players against Canada and Tonga to beef up his World Cup squad, France coach Bernard Laporte has picked 12 of the team who beat Australia plus fullback Thomas Castaignede, No 8 Julien Bonnaire and lock Lionel Nallet.

Bonnaire, selected ahead of Thomas Lievremont, was suspended for the Australia game while Nallet replaces the banned Fabien Pelous.

Rugby-educated in Toulouse, Castaignede eased himself in a backline made up of five Toulouse players, halfback Jean-Baptiste Elissalde, first five-eighth Frederic Michalak, centres Yannick Jauzion and Florian Fritz and wing Cedric Heymans.

Wing Aurelien Rougerie will complete a set-up combining speed, skill and power.

Laporte however said the game would be won or lost in the forwards battle.

"We played the Springboks twice this summer. They have been making a lot of progress and are full of confidence since they won the 2004 Tri-Nations. We can expect a strong physical challenge. We'll be playing against a wall," he added.

"The Springboks have the best second row in the world. Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha don't go in for subtleties. They just try to dominate their opponents."

France defeated South Africa 20-10 and 30-10 in their last two encounters played in France in November 2001 and 2002. The two teams drew 30-30 last June in Durban and the Springboks won 27-13 a week later in Port Elizabeth.

"We know that France will be a different team from the one we played in the summer because they are at home," South African captain John Smit said.

Like Laporte, Jack White put experimentation on ice and opted for experience when he recalled prop Os du Randt, who has 60 caps, and the 55-cap wing Breyton Paulse, who plays club rugby in France with Clermont-Auvergne.

The Springboks coach was also relieved that fullback Percy Montgomery had been freed to play after one of the two yellow cards he received agaist Wales was rescinded.

"Percy has got 73 caps and we need his experience this weekend. We'll have a good balance between senior players and junior players like the halfbacks," he said referring to first-five Meyer Bosman, who made his debut against Wales, and halfback Michael Claassens, who made his first test start in Cardiff.

White admitted his main worry was the weather - snow is forecast on Sunday (NZT) -- and the late 2000 GMT kick-off.

"It's true that we are not used to playing in the snow but as far as I know the snow will fall on both teams," Smit said.

Teams

France: Thomas Castaignede, Aurelien Rougerie, Florian Fritz, Yannick Jauzion, Cedric Heymans, Frederic Michalak, Jean-Baptiste Elissalde, Julien Bonnaire, Remy Martin, Yannick Nyanga, Jerome Thion (captain), Lionel Nallet, Pieter de Villiers, Dimitri Szarzewski, Olivier Milloud.

Replacements: Sebastien Bruno, Sylvain Marconnet, Gregory Lamboley, Thomas Lievremont, Pierre Mignoni, Yann Delaigue, Pepito Elhorga.

South Africa: Percy Montgomery, Breyton Paulse, Jaque Fourie, Jean de Villiers, Bryan Habana, Meyer Bosman, Michael Claassens, Jacques Cronje, Juan Smith, Schalk Burger; Victor Matfield, Bakkies Botha, CJ van der Linde, John Smit (captain), Os du Randt

Replacements: Gary Botha, Eddie Andrews, Albert van den Berg, Danie Rossouw, Bolla Conradie, De Wet Barry, Conrad Jantjes.

Referee: Scott Young (Australia)

- REUTERS