Anthony Jelonch, the Castres Olympique flanker who joins Stade Toulousain next season, will captain a team containing two new caps in Castres Olympique hooker Gaëtan Barlot and USAP full-back Melvyn Jaminet.

There are also five uncapped players on the bench in RC Toulon hooker Anthony Etrillard, USAP prop Quentin Walcker, ASM Clermont Auvergne prop Sipili Falatea, Castres lock Florent Vanverberghe and 30-year-old Racing 92 scrum-half Teddy Iribaren.

“The players have everything to gain," said head coach Fabien Galthié. "It is an opportunity for many to establish themselves in the France XV two and a half years before the World Cup."

RC Toulon and Lyon provide four players apiece in the starting XV, with Lyon’s quartet being scrum-half Baptiste Couilloud, prop Demba Bamba, lock Killian Geraci and flanker Dylan Cretin, while Toulon’s contingent is wing Gabin Villière, fly-half Louis Carbonel, lock Romain Taofifenua and prop Jean-Baptiste Gros. However, Taofifenua joins Lyon next season.

Stade Français Paris have two players in the side in centre Jonatan Danty and No.8 Sekou Macalou, and the XV is completed by Montpellier Hérault Rugby centre Arthur Vincent and ASM Clermont Auvergne wing Damian Penaud.

With players from Heineken Champions Cup and TOP 14 finalists Stade Toulousain and Stade Rochelais unavailable as they would not have had time to quarantine, it’s a new-look France team who will take on Australia in Brisbane on Wednesday.