Rugby World Cup: Jefferson Poirot ready for 'big fight' as France make 11 changes for Tonga

Jefferson Poirot will become France's third captain at this World Cup

Prop Jefferson Poirot says France will be prepared for a "big fight" when they face Tonga on Sunday looking to seal a place in the World Cup quarter-finals.

Poirot will become France's third captain at the tournament when he leads a reshuffled side at Kumamoto Stadium.

Victory would see Les Bleus progress from Pool C, with a final group match against England to come next Saturday.

"We're expecting a physical challenge and we absolutely have to respond," said Poirot, 26.

"We don't have much room to manoeuvre, we know that, and we're preparing all the games in the same way. We're prepared for a big fight."

Poirot succeeds number eight Louis Picamoles, who stood in for benched hooker Guilhem Guirado to lead France to a 33-9 win over the United States on Wednesday.

Coach Jacques Brunel has made 11 changes to that side, with Romain Ntamack returning at fly-half and scrum-half Baptiste Serin starting after impressing off the bench.

Ntamack, 20, and Serin, 25, will be the third half-back partnership Brunel has used in Japan.

Only inside-centre Sofiane Guitoune, hooker Camille Chat, lock Paul Gabrillagues and winger Alivereti Raka have been retained from the 15 that initially laboured against the United States before finishing strongly.

"The armband belongs to Guilhem Guirado. He's the captain, the one who led the talking this week," added Poirot. But we've had this rotating system for Tests, which has worked well and we're continuing that way.

"The preparation period was good for me - I was able to get to know the players outside of rugby. Now it's easier to get my message through."

Twenty-year-old fly-half Romain Ntamack returns to the France team to play Tonga

France, who edged past Argentina in their World Cup opener, remain unbeaten in Japan and are second in Pool C behind England.

Tonga have lost both of their games so far and must beat France to keep their hopes of progressing alive, although they will be eliminated regardless if Argentina beat England with a bonus point on Saturday.

Coach Toutai Kefu has made two changes from the team that lost to Argentina, with tight-head prop Ma'afu Fia replacing Ben Tameifuna and Cooper Vuna coming in for Viliami Lolohea on the wing.

• World Cup tables

Teams

France: Medard; Penaud, Vakatawa, Guitoune, Raka; Ntamack, Serin; Poirot, Chat, Slimani, Gabrillagues, Vahaamahina, Lauret, Ollivon, Alldritt.

Replacements: Guirado, Baille, Setiano, Le Roux, Camara, Dupont, Lopez, Barassi.

Tonga: Veainu, Vuna, Hingano, Piutau, Halaifonua; Faiva, Takulua; Fisi'ihoi, Ngauamo, Fia; Lousi, Fifita, Kalamafoni, Kapeli, Vaipulu.

Replacements: Sakalia, Fifita, Halanukonuka, Mafi, Manu, Fukofuka, Fosita, Pakalani.

Match stats

• France and Tonga have met twice before in the Rugby World Cup, Les Bleus winning 38-10 in 1995 but Tonga getting revenge in 2011 with a shock 19-14 win in the final round of pool matches.

• This will be the sixth meeting in Tests between France and Tonga - the previous five have seen the winner alternate, with France winning the last game in 2013.

• Tonga have lost 16 of their 18 World Cup matches against Tier 1 sides, however one of their two victories was the 2001 win against France - as well as one against Italy in 1999.

• Only one of Tonga's 27 previous World Cup games has seen the side losing at half-time come back to claim victory - their 19-15 win over Samoa in 2007 when they trailed 6-12 at the break.

• France have won all 23 of their pool games when they have led at the break, although this run came close to ending when they edged past Argentina in their opening game of this tournament.

• There have been three red cards in the five previous clashes between Tonga and France: Feleti Mahoni was sent off for Tonga in 1995, while the last meeting (2013) saw Yoann Maestri (France) and Sona Taumalolo (Tonga) both dismissed for fighting.

• Sione Kalamafoni and Siale Piutau are set to make their 11th World Cup appearances, joining Vunga Lilo and Soane Tonga'uiha as Tonga's most capped players in the competition.

• Yoann Huget has scored six Test tries so far in 2019, the most by a France player in a calendar year since 2011 when Vincent Clerc crossed nine times for Les Bleus.

• Gael Fickou has scored a try in each of his last three World Cup games for France - only Jean-Baptiste Lafond has scored in more consecutive matches at the tournament for Les Bleus (four in 1991).

• Tonga are the only side at the 2019 World Cup who had no players in their original 31-man squad that played club rugby domestically.