Peter De Villiers is confident in the bilities of Ricky Januarie © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

News: Matfield targeting French lineout

News: Bastareaud ruled out of France tour

News: James handed a second chance

Matches: South Africa 42 - 17 France

Teams: France | South Africa

South Africa coach Peter De Villiers has sprung a major surprise by including Ricky Januarie ahead of Ruan Pienaar in a full-strength South Africa team to face France on Saturday.

De Villiers also named Gio Aplon and Francois Louw - who impressed during their first internationals against Wales last week - while the try-scoring debutant Juan de Jongh, is named amongst the replacements. Lock Flip van der Merwe and centre Jean de Villiers, who left the field with an injured shoulder against Wales, also line up on the Springbok bench.

Bryan Habana, Pierre Spies, Schalk Burger and Wynand Olivier all return to a formidable looking team, but Butch James, originally named in the expanded 27-man squad yesterday, is left out.

Exciting young Biarritz flank Wenceslas Lauret is set to make his France debut in a new-look back-row after impressing during his side's superb Heineken Cup run.

Lauret displaces powerhouse Toulouse back-row Louis Picamoles, who was expected to start in the absence of regular No.8 Imanol Harinordoquay, out with the rib injury he suffered in the Heineken Cup. Lauret will start in the No.7 shirt, with Julien Bonnaire at eight and captain Thierry Dusautoir on the other flank.

South Africa: Z Kirchner (Bulls); G Aplon (Stormers), J Fourie (Stormers), W Olivier (Bulls), B Habana (Stormers); M Steyn (Bulls), R Januarie (Stormers); G Steenkamp (Bulls), J Smit (Sharks), BJ Botha (Ulster), D Rossouw (Bulls), V Matfield (Bulls), S Burger (Stormers), F Louw (Stormers), P Spies (Bulls).

Replacements: C Ralepelle (Bulls), J du Plessis (Sharks), F van der Merwe (Bulls), D Potgieter (Bulls), R Pienaar (Sharks), J de Jongh (Stormers), J de Villiers (Western Province).

France: C Poitrenaud (Toulouse), V Clerc (Toulouse), D Marty (Perpignan), M Mermoz (Perpignan), A Rougerie (Clermont Auvergne), F Trinh-Duc (Montpellier), M Parra (Bourgoin), T Domingo (Clermont Auvergne), D Szarzewski (Stade Francais), N Mas (Perpignan), L Nallet (Racing Metro), R Millo-Chluski (Toulouse), T Dusautoir (Toulouse, capt), W Lauret (Biarritz), J Bonnaire (Clermont Auvergne)

Replacements: G Guirado (Perpignan), J Baptiste Poux (Toulouse), J Pierre (Clermont Auvergne), L Picamoles (Toulouse), D Yachvili (Biarritz), D Skrela (Toulouse), M Andreu (Castres), L Ducalcon (Castres)