Maxime Lucu replaces Antoine Dupont in France team to face Ireland

Maxime Lucu has been selected at scrum-half for France's much-anticipated Guinness Six Nations opener against Ireland, with regular number nine Antoine Dupont skipping the championship to prepare for an Olympics sevens campaign.

Fabien Galthie's starting XV shows five changes from the team which began Les Bleus’ 29-28 Rugby World Cup quarter-final defeat to South Africa on 15 October.

Lucu will partner Bordeaux team-mate Matthieu Jalibert for the championship curtain-raiser in Marseille as fly-half Romain Ntamack is still recovering from a serious knee injury .

Uncapped Racing 92 scrum-half Nolann Le Garrec, 21, will provide cover for Lucu from the bench at Stade Velodrome.

Yoram Moefana is preferred to Louis Bielle-Biarrey on the left wing, while Paul Gabrillagues and Paul Willemse are Galthie’s new lock pairing.

Francois Cros replaces the injured Anthony Jelonch at blindside flanker in the other alteration.

La Rochelle number eight Gregory Alldritt has taken on the captaincy from Dupont, who was named player of the championship in three of the past four years.

Cyril Baille, hooker Peato Mauvaka and Uini Atonio continue in an unchanged front row, with new skipper Alldritt joined at the back of the pack by flankers Cros and Charles Ollivon.

Behind the half-back pairing of Lucu and Jalibert are centres Jonathan Danty and Gael Fickou, while Damian Penaud, who scored six tries at the World Cup, lines up on the right wing and Thomas Ramos starts at full-back.

Le Garrec and Bielle-Biarrey are joined among the replacements by Julien Marchand, Reda Wardi, Dorian Aldegheri, Romain Taofifenua, Cameron Woki and Paul Boudehent.

France went on to clinch the Grand Slam after beating Ireland 30-24 in Paris two years ago.

Current title holders