Sevens star Virimi Vakatawa will start on the wing in a new-look French national 15s team to face Italy in their opening Six Nations game this Sunday.
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Fijian-born Vakatawa, who has not played any 15-man rugby since 2013, will make his first appearance in a side containing four uncapped players.
Out-half Jules Plisson took over the kicking duties after Bezy came off in favour of Maxime Machenaud, and the French No. 10 was an immediate improvement, converting Bonneval’s try before adding a coolly taken penalty in the 70th minute.
“We know he has his shortcomings – he has yet to fully get a grip on his role – but the sooner we play him, the better”.
Asked if the team were not too young, with the eldest being 30-year-old flanker Damien Chouly, Noves replied: “I have no fear”.
France and Italy kick-off the Six Nations on Saturday under a massive security operation as global sport returns to Paris’s Stade de France for the first time since suicide bombers targeted the city on November 13.
“There will be an exceptional pre-screening process in place at seven or eight points around the Stade de France”, the security chief for the French Rugby Federation (FFR), high-profile former policeman Robert Broussard, said.
“We can’t know how things will go down on Saturday, but given the circumstances, Virimi’s potential, the fact that he is a big prospect for the future, we want to see him in real game conditions rather than believing in him, hoping he could be great but never give him an opportunity”.
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“We think about this every day”, Noves said.
