The state of play in French rugby

France will be without wing Benjamin Fall and lock Pascal Pape for Friday night's RBS Six Nations clash against Wales at the Millennium Stadium.

Both players suffered ankle injuries and will be replaced by Julien Malzieu and Julien Pierre respectively.

Fall had been named in the starting XV by coach Marc Lievremont as replacement for the injured Vincent Clerc.

With Pape out, Sebastien Chabal has been drafted in to take Pierre's place on the replacements bench.

"Pape sprained his ankle in training on Tuesday," France media manager Lionel Rossigneux confirmed.

"He immediately underwent a series of medical tests which seemed to be positive but he was still in pain in the morning and team doctor Jean-Philippe Hager decided to take no risk.

"Julien Pierre has been promoted to the starting line-up and Sebastien Chabal will join the team as a replacement."

France's other change from the team that beat Ireland 33-10 in Paris sees flanker Julien Bonnaire come in for the injured Fulgence Ouedraogo.

Bonnaire, 29, will win his 50th cap in Cardiff and is one of six Clermont Auvergne players in the France 22.

Flanker Ouedraogo started in the wins over Scotland and Ireland but was ruled out with a calf injury.

That sees Alexandre Lapandry, who has just one cap, named on the bench, with the more experienced Bonnaire slotting into the back-row alongside Imanol Harinordoquy and captain Thierry Dusautoir.

France open-side flanker Julien Bonnaire is set to win his 50th cap

Experienced prop Sylvain Marconnet, who came off the bench early in the second half of the 33-10 win over Ireland, has also been ruled out with the groin injury he suffered late in that match.

That sees Jean-Baptiste Poux named as the reserve prop among the France replacements who now see Castres' Marc Andreu called up.

However, wing Alexis Palisson has recovered from his knee problem and retains his starting place for the Millennium Stadium clash, the first Friday night Six Nations game to be played in Britain.

The clash with Wales is France's last away trip of this season's championship.

Home Tests against Italy on 14 March and then a potential Grand Slam decider with England on 20 March follow.

France: Clement Poitrenaud (Toulouse); Julien Malzieu (Clermont), Mathieu Bastareaud (Stade Francais), Yannick Jauzion (Toulouse), Alexis Palisson (Brive); Francois Trinh-Duc (Montpellier), Morgan Parra (Clermont Auvergne); Thomas Domingo (Clermont Auvergne), William Servat (Toulouse), Nicolas Mas (Perpignan), Lionel Nallet (Racing-Metro), Julien Pierre (Clermont Auvergne), Thierry Dusautoir (Toulouse, capt), Julien Bonnaire (Clermont Auvergne), Imanol Harinordoquy (Biarritz).
Replacements: Dimitri Szarzewski (Stade Francais), Jean-Baptiste Poux (Toulouse), Sebastien Chabal (Racing-Metro), Alexandre Lapandry (Clermont Auvergne), Frederic Michalak (Toulouse), David Marty (Perpignan), Marc Andreu (Castres).

Should Bastareaud be playing for France?

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