Michalak makes positional switch

Michalak is no stranger to the scrum-half role

French fly-half Frederic Michalak will revert to scrum-half in the Test against New Zealand on Saturday.

After Jean-Baptiste Elissalde withdrew because of a rib injury, his intended replacement, Dimitri Yachvili, was ruled out with a calf problem.

Michalak will also assume the role of goal-kicker in the absence of Elissalde and Julien Peyrelongue is promoted from the bench to start at number 10.

"The way we play often leads me to take on the scrum-half role," Michalak said.

It is nevertheless a setback for the French, who bid to recover from last week's surprise defeat at the hands of Argentina.

Michalak has played scrum-half before for his country, winning six of his 24 caps in the number nine jersey.

Coach Bernhard Laporte insisted that the team would not be overly hampered by the late switch.

It's not as if I had been called at the last minute Julien Peyrelongue

"Peyrelongue has been with us for nearly a year," he said.

"He has been working hard and has improved a lot and I am longing to see him play a full game against a team like New Zealand."

The man himself is also keen to get started against the All Blacks.

"It's not as if I had been called at the last minute," he opined.

"I have been working with the squad last season, on tour and for the last three weeks.

"I played alongside Frederic in the under-21 team and for the last 20 minutes of the Argentina test when Elissalde left the field.

"But to start such a game is a great challenge."

France have lost six of their last 10 games against New Zealand.

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France team: Clement Poitrenaud (Stade Toulousain); Aurelien Rougerie (Montferrand), Tony Marsh (Montferrand), Brian Liebenberg (Stade Francais), Cedric Heymans (Stade Toulousain), Julien Peyrelongue (Biarritz), Frédéric Michalak (Stade Toulousain); Sylvain Marconnet (Stade Francais), William Servat (Stade Toulousain), Pieter de Villiers (Stade Francais), Jerome Thion (Biarritz), Fabien Pelous (Stade Toulousain), Serge Betsen (Biarritz), Olivier Magne (Montferrand), Imanol Harinordoquy (Biarritz).
Replacements: Sebastien Bruno (Sale), Olivier Milloud (Bourgoin), Pascal Pape (Bourgoin), Julien Bonnaire (Bourgoin), Mathieu Barrau (Agen), Yannick Jauzion (Stade Toulousain), Christophe Dominici (Stade Français).