Morgan Parra, who had been struggling with a thigh injury, is also retained alongside Maxime Machenaud, Freddie Michalak and François Trinh-Duc.

There is no place for young centre Gael Fickou however, with Wesley Fofana, Maxime Mermoz and Florian Fritz getting the nod instead.

Saint-André said: “It was complicated. They gave us quite a headache because there were no bad surprises. We had some very impressive youngsters but in the end we went for experience for the match against Australia.

“It wouldn’t be kind to make 18 or 20-year-olds play that one. We would have preferred to spend a couple more days with the whole group because there was some healthy competition. The kids understood the demands of the highest level and that is interesting.

“There are positions where there is more competition than others. In the centre it’s not just Fofana or Fickou. We also have Mermoz and Fritz. We have taken a good spine from the Argentina series.

“I have told the group that there are 23 against Australia but everything is open for the Argentina and Samoa Tests.”

France squad to face Australia

Forwards: Thomas Domingo, Yannick Forestier, Dimitri Szarzewski, Benjamin Kayser, Nicolas Mas, Vincent Debaty, Yoann Maestri, Jocelino Suta, Pascal Papé, Yannick Nyanga, Fulgence Ouedraogo, Louis Picamoles, Damien Chouly

Backs: Maxime Machenaud, Morgan Parra, Frédéric Michalak, François Trinh-Duc, Maxime Mermoz, Florian Fritz, Wesley Fofana, Vincent Clerc, Brice Dulin, Yoann Huget