The 26-year-old Frenchman was brought into the team to replace out-of-form Pepito Elhorga.

''We are launching him into the great international level, said team manager Jo Maso.

He is young and this is a great opportunity for us and above all for him.

''There are 25 matches left before the World Cup so we must see as many players as possible.

Laporte has made three other changes to his starting line-up with Stade Toulouse's Yannick Jauzion, paired in centre with Damien Traille.

Traille and Jauzion were Frances Grand Slam midfield partnership last season.

''The return of Jauzion is going to be a plus for us,'' said coach Bernard Laporte.

''We are going to test him at an international level.''

Winger Aurelien Rougerie is also back after shaking off his facial injury picked up against Scotland.

Meanwhile, Beziers' Yannick Nyanga, who has four caps, will start in the back row as a replacement for Sebastien Chabal who has been dropped.

Finally, back-row forward Serge Betsen, who has won 45 caps and is one of coach Laporte's key players, will play at the Stade de France after shaking off his thigh injury.

France team to play Wales in the RBS 6 Nations at the Stade de France on Saturday:

J Laharrague (Brive); A Rougerie (Clermont Auvergne), D Traille (Biarritz), Y Jauzion (Stade Toulousain), C Dominici (Stade Francais); Y Delaigue (Castres), D Yachvili (Biarritz); S Marconnet (Stade Francais), S Bruno (Sale Sharks), N Mas (Perpignan), F Pelous (Toulouse, captain), J Thion (Biarritz), S Betsen (Biarritz), Y Nyanga (Beziers), J Bonnaire (Bourgoin).

Replacements: W Servat (Toulouse), O Milloud (Bourgoin), G Lamboley (Toulouse), I Harinordoquy (Biarritz), P Mignoni (Clermont), F Michalak (Toulouse), J-P Grandclaude (Perpignan)