Dimitri Yachvili returns at scrum-half in place of Pierre Mignoni, who has started all three of Les Bleus games so far in the tournament.

In the pack, Sale Sharks number eight Sebastien Chabal and Stade Francais prop Pieter De Villiers are back, replacing Elvis Vermeulen and Nicolas Mas respectively.

Chabals colleague at Sale, Sebastien Bruno, is named on the bench and will be back-up hooker to Raphael Ibanez, who is again captain in the absence of Fabien Pelous.

Yachvili has been the scourge of England in the Six Nations since the 2003 World Cup, his kicking helping Les Bleus down the world champions for the past three years.

The Biarritz number nine is brought back even though Mignoni has been one of the stars of the France team in their unbeaten campaign.

Yachvili will share kicking duties with fly-half David Skrela, who starts his fourth straight game.

Olivier Milloud keeps his place at prop owing to the absence of Sylvain Marconnet, who fractured his tibia and fibula while skiing last weekend.

France, who have already beaten Italy, Ireland and Wales in the tournament, know a win over England will virtually guarantee them the Six Nations crown for the second year running.

And with their final game being against Scotland, a third Grand Slam in six years will be there for the taking.

Chabal returns after missing the 32-21 win over Wales at the Stade de France on February 24 with a leg injury.

Vermeulen had a solid game against the Welsh, and was arguably the best player for the French Barbarians in their 28-14 defeat to Argentina last weekend.

But head coach Bernard Laporte has gone with Chabal, insisting: He had good games against Italy and Ireland, so it is logical he is in the team.

On Yachvilis return, Laporte added: It is an advantage to have another kicker there.

France team: C Poitrenaud; V Clerc (both Toulouse), D Marty (Perpignan), Y Jauzion (Toulouse), C Dominici; D Skrela (both Stade Francais), D Yachvili (Biarritz); O Milloud (Bourgoin), R Ibanez (Wasps, capt), P De Villiers (Stade Francais), L Nallet (Castres), J Thion, S Betsen (both Biarritz), J Bonnaire (Bourgoin), S Chabal (Sale).

Replacements: N Mas (Perpignan), S Bruno (Sale), P Pape (Castres), I Harinordoquy (Biarritz), P Mignoni (Clermont-Auvergne), L Beauxis (Stade Francais), C Heymans (Toulouse).