France coach Guy Noves was quick to deflect talk from this Saturday’s second Test by remaining in full reflection of his team’s 37-14 first Test defeat at Loftus. Noves was in no mood to lay bare his battle plans for the clash in Durban and some may suggest it may be because he has a trick up his sleeve. From the moment he announced his team for the opening Test, there had been the suspicion that the players he opted to rest in the first Test would be required to make a huge impact in the second. Noves thought it prudent to leave out the Clermont and Toulon players who played in last weekend’s Top 14 final. That includes captain and hooker Guilhem Guirado‚ centre Damian Penaud‚ prop Xavier Chiocci‚ lock Romain Taofifenua and fullback Scott Spedding. In addition, flyhalf Francois Trinh-Duc and lock Paul Jedriazak‚ who were not original selections‚ have joined the squad as replacements for Camille Lopez and Arthur Iturria. Add to that first choice tighthead Rabah Slimani is likely to...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.