- Title: France opt for Ntamack at flyhalf for crucial Argentina opener
- Date: 19th September 2019
- Summary: TOKYO, JAPAN (SEPTEMBER 19, 2019) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** FRENCH RUGBY TEAM COACH JACQUES BRUNEL DURING TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT NEWS CONFERENCE VARIOUS OF BRUNEL SPEAKING (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH RUGBY TEAM COACH, JACQUES BRUNEL, SAYING: "He has played several times for the team and we think that the solution which consists of having Romain at the start of the game and Camille Lopez in the second half is the most interesting one for us. We kept experienced people on the bench so that they can bring something in the second half with Louis Picamoles and Max Machenaud." REPORTERS LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH RUGBY TEAM COACH, JACQUES BRUNEL, SAYING: "Crucial? Of course it's an important game but let me say again it isn't a decisive one. There are three other games so whatever the result we'll have three other games and we'll have to deal with them and maybe win them so it's an important point to win but it's not the end of it." NEWS CONFERENCE TAKING PLACE (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH RUGBY TEAM COACH, JACQUES BRUNEL, SAYING: "We'll try to do what we think we should, put a strategy into place, one that might be linked to the weather forecast even, there are uncertainties on that too, we know the qualities of this Argentinian squad, we've seen their progress, there is no doubt they are an all rounder team." VARIOUS OF REPORTERS WINGER DAMIAN PENAUD ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH RUGBY TEAM WINGER, DAMIAN PENAUD, SAYING: "I think that today nobody believes in us and so we'll try to prove everybody wrong, we're now going to stay between us we'll do the job together with a cool head and ignore the rest." NEWS CONFERENCE UNDERWAY
- Embargoed: 3rd October 2019 07:42
- Keywords: France Rugby RWC Jacques Brunel
- Location: TOKYO, JAPAN
- City: TOKYO, JAPAN
- Country: Japan
- Topics: Rugby Union,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA001AXBOFNJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Romain Ntamack will start at flyhalf for France in Saturday's (September 21) World Cup opener against Argentina, as coach Jacques Brunel signalled his intent to attack early and let an experienced bench close the game out.
With a defeat against the Pumas likely to leave France needing to beat England to avoid missing out on the quarter-finals for the first time, Brunel chose the 20-year-old playmaker ahead of Clermont Auvergne number 10 Camille Lopez.
With La Rochelle's Gregory Alldritt, 22, preferred to Louis Picamoles at number eight and Ntamack's 22-year-old Toulouse team mate Antoine Dupont now a key man at scrumhalf, France will go out with a young, mobile spine to their team.
As well as Picamoles and Lopez, France will be able to call on scrumhalf Maxime Machenaud late on if things are as tight as Brunel expects while his Racing 92 teammate, Camille Chat, has become an impact replacement for club and country at hooker.
One experienced man Brunel must do without is Wesley Fofana, whose injury in the final warm up win over Italy was worse than initially thought, handing Fijian-born bulldozer Virimi Vakatawa a chance to impress at centre.
While Vakatawa has played more rugby at 13 than 12 for Racing this season, it was the selection of Ntamack at flyhalf that Brunel was forced to defend having, like his predecessor, chopped and changed at that position throughout his tenure.
(Production Lucien Libert) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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