Picamoles and Nakaitaci to start against Ireland in power-packed France side
French big hitters Louis Picamoles and Noa Nakaitaci will both start for France against Ireland in Cardiff on Sunday.
The victors at the Millennium Stadium will top Pool D, avoid the All Blacks and set up a clash with Argentina in the quarter-finals with Les Bleus boss Philippe Saint-Andre choosing to field a bullish starting line-up.
The French rhetoric all week has revolved around targeting Ireland’s fly-half pivot Johnny Sexton, and captain Thierry Dusautoir and number eight Picamoles will be central to that aim.
Fiji-born wing Nakaitaci has also been restored to the starting XV in what is a clear message from France that they are looking to exploit all their line-breaking options.
Ireland have already been explicit about the threats carried by Toulouse number eight Picamoles.
"Picamoles has always been dangerous as a ball carrier," said Ireland's forwards coach Simon Easterby.
"He has the ability to knock players off if you go too high, and he also has ability to offload pretty well.
"It obviously helps when you have someone like (former France flanker) Imanol Harinordoquy playing alongside you at your club, as Picamoles has.
"His experience for the French and Biarritz is exceptional. And I am sure his work rubs off on Picamoles.
"He along with a number of players in their pack have the ability to carry and offload.
"We have to trust what we do without the ball and make sure that we are on top of our game when we are defending."
Toulon battering-ram Mathieu Bastareaud will start at outside centre, but there is no doubt that one of the central themes of France’s attacking gameplan Sunday will be to send him straight down Sexton's channel as many times as possible.
Wesley Fofana takes the 12 shirt, to form a midfield combination with Bastareaud will for the 13th time. Only Damien Traille and Yannick Jauzion have combined more often in the centres for France, that duo dovetailing 15 times for Les Bleus.
France team to play Ireland: S Spedding; N Nakaitaci, M Bastareaud, W Fofana, B Dulin; F Michalak, S Tillous-Borde; E Ben Arous, G Guirado, R Slimani, P Pape, Y Maestri, T Dusautoir (capt), D Chouly, L Picamoles.
Replacements: B Kayser, V Debaty, N Mas, A Flanquart, B Le Roux, M Parra, R Tales, A Dumoulin.
