Chabal must settle for place on bench

Rugby: Sebastien Chabal will have to make do with a place on the bench for France's Six Nations opener against Scotland while…

Rugby:Sebastien Chabal will have to make do with a place on the bench for France's Six Nations opener against Scotland while centre Yannick Jauzion was left out of the match-day 22 altogether.

Imanol Harinordoquy was selected ahead of Racing Metro's popular number eight who was named among the substitutes for Saturday's game at the Stade de France.

"Chabal is sick and injured and will be on the bench", said coach Marc Lievremont at France's Marcoussis training centre today.

Lievremont has selected Perpignan's Maxime Mermoz instead of Jauzion.

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"To go without somebody like Yannick Jauzion, considering what he represents from a human and a sporting point of view, was not easy. But after a complicated year, Maxime Mermoz is in the form of his life," Lievremont said.

"In my opinion, he forms a good attacking triangle with Francois Trinh-Duc and Aurelien Rougerie."

The versatile Damien Traille, used as an outhalf during November's tests, has been named at fullback.

"I have often considered putting him in fullback position. He is very good in defence and in the air. He is also good when he counter-attacks and he brings relief to the outhalf," said Lievremont, who has been in charge of France for three years.

The other surprise on the list was inexperienced wing Yoann Huget, who made his debut in November and was picked ahead of Vincent Clerc who has 43 caps and scored 22 tries with France.

"Huget wasn't perfect but he convinced me (in November). I wanted to throw him in at the deep end even if Vincent Clerc has come back to his best level," Lievremont added.

As Scotland go in search of a first Six Nations win in Paris, captain Alastair Kellock joined by Glasgow team-mate Richie Gray in the secondrow and Nathan Hines starting at flanker.

Johnnie Beattie, who missed the autumn internationals following shoulder surgery, has not been selected in coach Andy Robinson's match day 22, leaving Hines at blindside, Kelly Brown at number eight and John Barclay at openside flanker.

Richie Vernon, who drops out of the starting XV, and Ross Rennie take the backrow replacement places.

Beattie was unable to force his way into a team showing three changes in personnel and two further positional switches from the one which defeated Samoa 19-16 in Aberdeen on November.

With Graeme Morrison injured, Nick De Luca will return at inside centre and Joe Ansbro playing outside him. Max Evans will play on the right wing in place of Sean Lamont.

Scotland's last win in Paris came as they won the final Five Nations Championship title in 1999 - it is their only win at the Stade de France to date - and they have won twice in 42 years in the French capital.

Leinster's Hines began last November's win over world champions South Africa in the backrow but made an early switch back to his customary secondrow position following an injury to Scott MacLeod.

The selection of Australian-born Hines, who has won 67 caps and toured South Africa with the British and Irish Lions in 2009, on the flank suggests Scotland will attempt to combat the physicality of the French up front.

Scotland began last season's tournament with three losses before drawing with England and beating Ireland in Dublin.

Robinson hopes to carry the momentum of five wins from the last six Tests to Paris as Scotland seek a first win in 12 years in the French capital.

"International rugby is about maintaining forward momentum and, as Test matches go, France in the cauldron of Stade de France will be a stern examination,” said Robinson.

"I've remarked before that Scotland have produced some stirring one-off victories in the championship in the recent past and that what we need to do is produce winning performances consistently.

"We showed last year that that could be achieved following up our win against Ireland with our tour results in Argentina, though we know that we must be 100% on our top game for that aim to be realised."

France team:D Traille, Y Huget, A Rougerie, M Mermoz, M Medard, F Thrinh-Duc, M Parra, I Harinordoquy, J Bonnaire, T Dusautoir (captain), L Nallet, J Pierre, N Mas, W Servat, T Domingo. Replacements: G Guirado, L Ducalcon, J Thion, Sn Chabal, D Yachvili, D Skrela, C Poitrenaud.

Scotland team:H Southwell; N Walker, J Ansbro, N De Luca, M Evans; D Parks, R Lawson; A Jacobsen, R Ford, E Murray, R Gray, A Kellock (captain), N Hines, K Brown, J Barclay. Replacements: D Hall, M Low, R Vernon, R Rennie, M Blair, R Jackson, S Lamont