As he has done throughout Frances successful autumn series, Laporte has not been afraid to change a winning line-up and of the team that beat Tonga 43-8 in Toulouse, only a handful have been retained to face the Springboks.

There is a new centre-pairing with Florian Fritz and Yannick Jauzion coming in to replace David Marty and Thomas Castaignede.

Castaignede keeps his place in the first XV but will start at full-back on Saturday in place of the injured Julien Laharrague.

Other changes in the backs see Cedric Heymans return on the wing in place of Vincent Clerc, while Frederic Michalak and Jean-Baptiste Elissalde start at half-back instead of Yann Delaigue and Dimitri Yachvili.

In the forwards, Dimitri Szarzewski comes in for Raphael Ibanez at hooker, Pieter de Villiers replaces Sylvain Marconnet at prop, Lionel Nallet takes over in the second row from Gregory Lamboley while Remy Martin is brought into the back row, replacing Sebastien Chabal.

Before their victory over Tonga, France defeated Australia 26-16 in Marseille on November 5 and Canada 50-6 a week later in Nantes.

France team to face South Africa at the Stade de France on November 26:

Thomas Castaignede; Aurelien Rougerie, Florian Fritz, Yannick Jauzion, Cedric Heymans; Frederic Michalak, Jean-Baptiste Elissalde; Olivier Milloud, Dimitri Szarzewski, Pieter de Villiers, Lionel Nallet, Jerome Thion (captain), Yannick Nyanga, Julien Bonnaire, Remy Martin.

Replacements: Sebastien Bruno, Sylvain Marconnet, Gregory Lamboley, Thomas Lievremont, Pierre Mignoni, Yann Delaigue, Pepito Elhorga.