France's Fickou, Meafou and Flament return for Australia clash

PARIS :France centre Gael Fickou and locks Emmanuel Meafou and Thibaud Flament are back in the starting team to face Australia this weekend as coach Fabien Galthie on Thursday made three changes to the side that beat Fiji last week.

Fickou, who started in the opening defeat by South Africa earlier this month, returns at inside centre to replace the injured Pierre-Louis Barassi Saturday's clash.

Meafou and Flament, both out against Fiji, will partner in the second row in place of Romain Taofifenua and Charles Ollivon.

The latter, man of the match against Fiji, will start as flanker alongside Gregory Alldritt and Anthony Jelonch, with Oscar Jegou relegated to the bench.

"Meafou and Flament are available again, so we won't deprive ourselves of having them start," Galthie told a press conference.

"Charles (Ollivon), with his performance in Bordeaux (against Fiji), has earned his place against Australia."

Alldritt will remain captain for the second match in a row after Fickou was skipper against South Africa.

Centre Kalvin Gourgues should earn his first cap off the bench as France look for a convincing win to conclude their Autumn International Series on a positive note.

"There is a chance that we will be more consistent in this third match. Our ambition is clear: to perform in this third match," Galthie said.

France team:

15-Thomas Ramos, 14-Damian Penaud, 13-Nicolas Depoortere, 12-Gael Fickou, 11-Louis Bielle-Biarrey, 10-Romain Ntamack, 9-Maxime Lucu, 8-Gregory Alldritt (captain), 7-Charles Ollivon, 6-Anthony Jelonch, 5-Emmanuel Meafou, 4-Thibaud Flament, 3-Regis Montagne, 2-Julien Marchand, 1-Jean-Baptiste Gros

Replacements: 16-Maxime Lamothe, 17-Rodrigue Neti, 18-Thomas Laclayat, 19-Romain Taofifenua, 20-Hugo Auradou, 21-Oscar