France have gambled on their two most gifted playmakers starting in the same team for the first time, moving Matthieu Jalibert to fullback and restoring Romain Ntamack at fly-half for Saturday's Nations Championship Test against the Wallabies at Suncorp Stadium.
The reshuffle — seven changes in all from the side that lost 34-32 to New Zealand — is the boldest answer yet to a debate that has followed French rugby for two seasons: how to fit both Ntamack and Jalibert into one XV. Coach Fabien Galthié's solution is to hand Ntamack the No.10 jersey and push Jalibert to the back three, a position he rarely occupies for club or country.
It is a selection that has not escaped Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt, who made light of the threat while acknowledging its danger. "Both of them on the pitch at the same time is a headache for us, so I could drop Fabien a message and say, 'Look, just one at a time would be good,'" Schmidt said.
He was only half-joking. "It's something we will have to adapt to," Schmidt added. "Their ability in terms of short and long kicking game — they are both quick and have great footwork. They are a challenge for us."
There is a distinctly Australian flavour to Galthié's team-sheet. Brisbane-born loosehead prop Moses Alo-Emile is set to make his Test debut on home soil, while former France Sevens flyer Aaron Grandidier-Nkanang is also in line for a first cap — two players who came through the game in Australia now lining up against the Wallabies.
France are without their captain and talisman. Scrum-half Antoine Dupont is missing through injury, and record try-scorer Damian Penaud has returned home after being hurt against the All Blacks. Into the pack come five members of the Toulouse and Montpellier sides that contested June's Top 14 final, including hooker Peato Mauvaka and locks Emmanuel Meafou and Florian Verhaeghe.
Jalibert's involvement was in the balance until late. He has been managing a calf complaint, and Galthié left the final call to the eve of the match. "He'll have a full test tomorrow during the captain's run at the stadium," Galthié said. "Then we'll make the decision based on how he feels."
The Wallabies, meanwhile, arrive with a fly-half crisis of their own, turning to uncapped rookie Declan Meredith at No.10 after a run of injuries. That makes the contrast at the game's key position stark: Australia blooding a debutant against a France side so rich in playmakers it is still working out how to fit them all on the pitch.
Kick-off in Brisbane is 5:40pm (AEST) on Saturday.
