Stade Velodrome, Marseilles, Sunday November 9, 7am
(AEDT)Referee: Steve Walsh (New Zealand)
TV: Fox Sports 3 from 6.55am
Rugby rivalries run deep and here on Saturday France will take on one of their real bogey teams Argentina looking to record only their second win in seven matches against the Pumas.
Adding to the spice to the match is the fact that former France captain Fabien Galthie and a one-time candidate for the France coaching post - to replace Bernard Laporte after he stood down after the 2007 World Cup - has taken on a role as an advisor for the Argentinians while in the French camp there is former Pumas kicker Gonzalo Quesada acting as kicking coach.
However, France head coach Thomas Lievremont insists that despite Galthie's 'defection' there are no hard feelings.
"It is not a case of Marc Lievremont against Fabien Galthie, it is France against Argentina," commented Lievremont, who was to many a surprise choice as coach as Galthie had experienced a successful spell with giants Stade Francais.
"There is respect between us, I know that he is a competent coach and a big plus for the Argentinian backroom staff.
"I can't really criticise him in any case because we have David Ellis (defence coach) who is English and Gonzalo Quesada (kicking coach) who is Argentinian.
"We have crossed paths and discussed various players and the France team. We have known each other for 20 years, we were students together and team-mates with France."
Galthie for his part is also playing a straight bat, though, many believe that it is no coincidence he has taken the job for what is seen as one of the big grudge matches in international rugby.
"For the moment, I am not thinking too much about the match," said Galthie earlier this week.
"This is a test match but my future does not depend on the result. This is a series of tests, and the players and the backroom staff are working towards responding to the overall results (they play tests against Italy and Ireland as well)," added Galthie, who was IRB player of the year in 2002.
Lievremont, who was part of the team that reached the 1999 World Cup final, has gone against type and selected a squad that has relatively familiar faces given his penchant during the Six Nations to overhaul all his squads which led to them finishing third and the former flanker having to deny he had shown a lack of respect to the tournament.
A lot of eyes will be focused on yet another product of the Toulouse system in fullback Maxime Medard as the precocious 21-year-old will win his first cap, but while he will be tested by the Pumas kicking game there are high expectations of him.
The French staff, though, are clear about their target for the three autumn tests - which also include the unpredictable Pacific Islands and Australia.
"We know Argentina are a team brimming with talent and difficult to move around," said backs coach Emile Ntamack.
"But we prefer to focus on us, our capability of playing and, working in the little time we have, on our gameplan.
"The goal is clear: three wins."
Argentina - who have lost their last three matches - meanwhile field many players who ply their trade in France and most controversially Stade Francais prop Rodrigo Roncero, who is only playing because he has appealed against a 30 days suspension imposed earlier this week for brutal play.
However, Argentina coach Santiago Phelan preferred to look at the match in a broader context than just the selection of Roncero.
"These are two new teams under new stewardship. It will be a tough match and we go into it affording the utmost respect to French rugby. No one is favourite," said Phelan.
France: Maxime Medard; Julien Malzieu, Yannick Jauzion, Benoit Baby, Cedric Heymans; David Skrela, Jean-Baptiste Elissalde; Imanol Harinordoquy, Louis Picamoles, Thierry Dusautoir; Lionel Nallet, Romain Millo-Chluski; Benoit Lecouls, Dimitri Szarzewski, Fabien Barcella. Res: Benjamin Kayser, Nicolas Mas, Sebastien Chabal, Fulgence Ouedraogo, Morgan Parra, Damien Traille, Alexis Palisson
Argentina: Bernardo Stortoni; Francisco Leonelli, Gonzalo Tiesi, Felipe Contepomi, Horacio Agulla; Juan Martin Hernandez, Nicolas Vergallo; Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe, Alvaro Galindo, Martin Alberto Durand; Patricio Albacete, Rimas Alvarez-Kairelis; Juan Pablo Orlandi, Mario Ledesma, Rodrigo Roncero. Res: Alberto Vernet-Basualdo, Marcos Ayerza, Esteban Lozada, Alejandro Campos, Agustin Figuerola, Federico Martin-Aramburu, Rafael Carballo.
Last five matches:
France 10 Argentina 34, Paris, 2007
France 12 Argentina 17, Paris, 2007
France 27 Argentina 26, Paris 2006
France 14 Argentina 24, Marseille, 2004
Argentina 33 France 32, Buenos Aires, 2003
AFP
