Sport

Young guns get chance

French coach Bernard Laporte handed full back Nicolas Jeanjean, centre Yannick Jauzion and number eight Patrick Tabacco their…

Thu Jun 14 2001 - 01:00

French coach Bernard Laporte handed full back Nicolas Jeanjean, centre Yannick Jauzion and number eight Patrick Tabacco their first caps yesterday for their clash against South Africa in Johannesburg on Saturday.

Laporte's Springbok counterpart Harry Viljoen also selected three Test debutants in 21-yearold outhalf Butch James, who the coach sees as the future playmaker of Springbok international rugby, left-winger Dean Hall and prop Ettiene Fynn.

The 28-year-old Fynn's inclusion makes him a rarity in that while several black players have played for the Springboks in the backs, he is the first to break the white domination in the pack.

Viljoen like Laporte has said he wants to give as many young players a chance in the series as possible as they build towards the 2003 World Cup.

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Laporte, who is using the two Test series with the Springboks and the one with the All Blacks to blood some fresh talent, also recalled lock Olivier Brouzet and prop Jean-Jacques Crenca, who wins his sixth cap. The 32year-old replaces Christian Califano.

Jauzion (22), is regarded as the future great centre of France and missed out on making his debut in the last Six Nations tournament. Tabacco gets his chance because of injuries to Francis Ntamack and Thomas Lievremont.

Team Selections

SOUTH AFRICA: Barry, J Mulder, D Hall; B James, J van der Westhuizen; R Kempson, J Smit, E Fynn, A Venter, M Andrews, C Krige, R Erasmus, A Vos. Replacements: C Jantjes, R Fleck, N de Kock, B Skinstad, A van den Berg, W Meyer, O Le Roux.

FRANCE: N Jeanjean (Stade Toulousain); D Bory (Montferrand), S Glas (Bourgoin), Y Jauzion (Colomiers), C Dominici (Stade Francais); G Merceron (Montferrand), F Galthie (Colomiers capt); J Crenca (Agen), R Ibanez (Castres), P De Villiers (Stade Francais), D Auradou (Stade Francais), O Brouzet (Northampton), S Chabal (Bourgoin), O Magne (Montferrand), P Tabacco (Stade Francais). Replacements: O Azam (Gloucester), C Califano (Stade Toulousain), L Nallet (Bourgoin), E Vermeulen (Brive), P Mignoni (Dax), D Skrela (Colomiers), P Elhorga (Agen)