Toulouse full-back Maxime Medard will win his first international cap after being named in the France team to face Argentina in Marseille on Saturday.
The 21-year-old has been rewarded for his scintillating club form with Top 14 leaders Toulouse, which has seven other players named in the starting XV.
"We're picking players who are performing and Toulouse are ahead of other teams," said France's backs coach Emile Ntamack of head coach Marc Lievremont's selection.
Lievremont plumped for David Skrela at outside-half over veteran Damien Traille in the absence through injury of both Lionel Beauxis and Francois Trinh-Duc.
The three-time capped Clermont centre Benoit Baby was named as Yannick Jauzion's centre partner while Toulouse lock Romain Millo-Chluski will win his second cap after being preferred to Sebastien Chabal, named on the bench.
"We are extremely lucky to have quite an experienced team, a big pack of forwards, notably on the right-hand side with (prop) Benoit Lecouls and Romain Millo-Chluski, who train together at Toulouse," said Lievremont.
Imanol Harinordoquy's selection in the backrow over the speedier yet lighter Fulgence Ouedraogo also followed this rationale, he said.
"We wanted to beef up the backrow with Imanol and Thierry Dusautoir rather than Ouedraogo. It will be interesting to see Fulgence come on in the second-half and lend us his dynamism."
Argentina have become France's bete noire on the paddock, the Pumas having racked up six wins in the last seven matches since 2002, including two during last year's World Cup, hosted by the French.
France go on to play the Pacific Islanders on November 15 and Australia a week later, but Ntamack was in no doubt about the aims of the squad.
"We know Argentina are a team brimming with talent and difficult to move around," said the former Toulouse and France winger.
"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."
France (15-1)
Maxime Medard (Toulouse); Julien Malzieu (Clermont), Yannick Jauzion (Toulouse), Benoit Baby (Clermont), Cedric Heymans (Toulouse); David Skrela (Toulouse), Jean-Baptiste Elissalde (Toulouse); Imanol Harinordoquy (Biarritz), Louis Picamoles (Montpellier), Thierry Dusautoir (Toulouse); Lionel Nallet (Castres, capt), Romain Millo-Chluski (Toulouse); Benoit Lecouls (Toulouse), Dimitri Szarzewski (Stade Francais), Fabien Barcella (Biarritz)
Replacements: Benjamin Kayser (Leicester/ENG), Nicolas Mas (Perpignan), Sebastien Chabal (Sale/ENG), Fulgence Ouedraogo (Montpellier), Morgan Parra (Bourgoin), Damien Traille (Biarritz), Alexis Palisson (Brive)
AFP
