Mathieu Bastareaud to start for France

Toulon powerhouse centre Mathieu Bastareaud has been named in France starting line-up for the first time in three years as France prepare to face Wales in Paris on Saturday.
Bastareaud comes off the bench replacing Toulouse‘s Floriant Fritz in one of two changes from their shock 23-18 defeat in Rome.
France coach Philippe Saint-Andre has been forced to make a change of captain as Pascal Pape sustained a back injury against Italy on Sunday.
As a result, Bastareaud’s club-mate Jocelino Suta starts at lock while flanker Thierry Dusautoir regain the arm-band.
Saint-Andre explained his decision to pick Bastareaud over Fritz was more a tactical choice rather than a sanction to the Toulouse centre.
He said: “I told Floriant it wasn’t a sanction. It wasn’t him who conceded 16 turnovers. We win at 23, we lose at 23.
” it was more a tactical choice knowing the Welsh blitz defence. Also Mathieu played well against Jamie Roberts, who is vital to the Welsh attacking line, when they met in the Heineken Cup this season.
“We want to find some anger again and that will to go forward and Mathieu can bring us just that.
France: Yoann Huget (Toulouse); Wesley Fofana (Clermont), Maxime Mermoz (Toulon), Mathieu Bastareaud (Toulon), Benjamin Fall (Racing Metro); Frederic Michalak (Toulon), Maxime Machenaud (Racing Metro); Yannick Forestier (Castres), Dimitri Szarzewski (Racing Metro), Nicolas Mas (Perpignan); Jocelino Suta (Toulon), Yoann Maestri (Toulouse); Fulgence Ouedraogo (Montpellier), Theirry Dusautoir (Toulouse, Capt.), Louis Picamoles (Toulouse).
Replacements: Benjamin Kayser (Clermont), Vincent Debaty (Clermont), Luc Ducalon (Castres), Romain Taofifenua (Perpignan), Damien Chouly (Clermont), Morgan Parra (Clermont), Francois Trinh-Duc (Montpellier), Floriant Fritz (Toulouse).