Veteran Fickou returns for France against Australia / Photo: Anne-Christine POUJOULAT - AFP/File
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Veteran Fickou returns for France against Australia
Experienced centre Gael Fickou returns for France against Australia in the Autumn Nations Series in Paris this weekend, having been overlooked for the win over Fiji, head coach Fabien Galthie announced on Thursday.
Fickou, 31, led the side in the opening game of the campaign, a humbling defeat to South Africa on November 8, before he was rested for last weekend's unconvincing victory over Fiji.
No.8 Gregory Alldritt keeps the captaincy to face the struggling Wallabies on Saturday with regular skipper Antoine Dupont out until December with a serious knee injury.
Fickou gets the the nod to start on his 98th Test appearance as Pierre-Louis Barassi has been ruled out with concussion, in one of three changes made by former scrum-half Galthie.
Locks Thibaud Flament and Emmanuel Meafou are included with Romain Taofifenua dropped to the bench and Charles Ollivon moving across to flanker as Oscar Jegou is named amongst the replacements.
Among the replacements, Toulouse's 20-year-old centre Kalvin Gourgues is set for his Test debut after an impressive start to the French Top 14 season.
Team (15-1)
Thomas Ramos; Damian Penaud, Nicolas Depoortere, Gael Fickou, Louis Bielle-Biarrey; Romain Ntamack, Maxime Lucu; Gregory Alldritt (capt), Charles Ollivon, Anthony Jelonch; Emmanuel Meafou, Thibaud Flament; Regis Montagne, Julien Marchand, Jean-Baptiste Gros
Replacements: Maxime Lamothe, Rodrigue Neti, Thomas Laclayat, Romain Taofifenua, Hugo Auradou, Oscar Jegou, Baptiste Jauneau, Kalvin Gourgues
Coach: Fabien Galthie (FRA)
S.Grassi--GdR
