France centre Yannick Jauzion has been left on the bench for Friday's make-or-break World Cup Pool D clash against Ireland at the Stade de France.

The French selectors have kept faith with the midfield partnership of David Marty and Damien Traille, who started in Sunday's 87-10 demolition of Namibia, but there are a number of other surprises in the line-up, with Sebastien Chabal getting the nod over Lionel Nallet for the second-row berth alongside the recalled Jerome Thion. Thion's regular partner Fabien Pelous has been ruled out of the game with a knee injury.

In all, there are just four changes to the side that defeated the Namibians, all of them coming in the pack. Raphael Ibañez has recovered from a throat injury to captain the side from hooker, replacing Dimitri Szarzewski. Ibañez will pack down in the front row with the recalled Olivier Milloud and Pieter De Villiers.

In the back row, Thierry Dusautoir and Julien Bonnaire did enough against Namibia to keep their places while there is a recall for Serge Betsen, who comes in for Yannick Nyanga. No8 Imanol Harinordoquy has recovered from a thumb injury but does not figure in the 22, and there is no place for veteran winger Christophe Dominici. Fly-half David Skrela (Achilles) is still out injured, so Frédéric Michalak continues at No10.

France team: C Poitrenaud; V Clerc, D Marty, D Traille, C Heymans; F Michalak, J-B Elissalde; O Milloud, R Ibañez, P De Villiers, S Chabal, J Thion, S Betsen, T Dusautoir, J Bonnaire. Replacements: D Szarzewski, J-B Poux, L Nallet, Y Nyanga, L Beauxis, Y Jauzion, A Rougerie.