France have made eight changes to the team that lost to Ireland in their last match for the first Test against the Wallabies in Brisbane on Saturday.

With none of the players who took part in the French Top 14 final having been considered for selection, Frédéric Michalak will get his shot in the pivot position.

The 68-cap veteran has struggled to hold down a starting role at Toulon, watching on from the stands as his club did the double at the weekend, but will get his shot at Suncorp Stadium this weekend.

Nicolas Mas will captain the team, with no place in the match-day squad for tour captain Thierry Dusautoir. Lock Pascal Papé, who led the team during the Six Nations, has been rested for the tour.

His place in alongside Yoann Maestri will be taken by Sébastien Vahaamahina, one of a number of changes to the forward pack. First-choice hooker Dimitri Szarzewski will miss the tour, with Guilhem Guirado deputising in his absence. The loose trio also has a new look about it, with Alexandre Lapandry and Louis Picamoles making way for Bernard le Roux and Fulgence Ouedraogo respectively.

In the backline Remi Tales will sit this one out, having featured for Castres over the weekend. Felix le Bourhis has been handed his debut on the left wing, while Wesley Fofana replaces Mathieu Bastareaud, with Gaël Fickou shifting to outside centre. Hugo Bonneval will start in the fullback jersey, with Brice Dulin another of those missing out after the weekend's exertions.

France – 15 Hugo Bonneval, 14 Yoann Huget, 13 Gaël Fickou, 12 Wesley Fofana, 11 Felix le Bourhis, 10 Frédéric Michalak, 9 Maxime Machenaud, 8 Damien Chouly, 7 Bernard le Roux, 6 Fulgence Ouedraogo, 5 Yoann Maestri, 4 Sébastien Vahaamahina, 3 Nicolas Mas (c), 2 Guilhem Guirado, 1 Thomas Domingo.
Subs: 16 Christopher Tolofua, 17 Vincent Debaty, 18 Rabah Slimani, 19 Alexandre Flanquart, 20 Antoine Burban, 21 Morgan Parra, 22 Remi Lamerat, 23 Brice Dulin.

Photo: David Rogers/Getty Images