Fofana starts as France ring changes for Romania game

PARIS (Reuters) - Wesley Fofana is back from injury as France coach Philippe Saint-Andre rests almost all of the team from Les Bleus' opening game for Wednesday's Rugby World Cup Pool D match against Romania. Of the 15 players who started the campaign with a 32-10 victory against Italy on Saturday, only wing Noa Nakaitaci and number eight Louis Picamoles were named in the starting line-up for Wednesday's game at the Olympic Stadium (kickoff 2000 GMT). "Playing four days after (our game against) Italy, it was unthinkable to field the same team," Saint-Andre explained. "When we built our squad, we took that under consideration. We had to be able to name a second team able to perform against a team who will be fully fresh for their first game." Saint-Andre said he retained Picamoles in the starting line-up because the powerful forward would probably not play 80 minutes and was replaced after 65 minutes against Italy. Usual starter Fofana, who was ruled out of the opener with a thigh injury, will start at centre alongside Gael Fickou. Morgan Parra and Remi Tales come in for the Toulon pair of Sebastien Tillous-Borde and Frederic Michalak at scrumhalf and flyhalf respectively. Hook Dimitri Sarzewski was named captain in place of the rested Thierry Dusautoir. Team: 1-Vincent Debaty, 2-Dimitri Szarzewski (captain), 3-Uini Atonio, 4-Bernard Le Roux, 5-Alexandre Flanquart, 6-Yannick Nyanga, 7-Fulgence Ouedraogo, 8-Louis Picamoles, 9-Morgan Parra, 10-Remi Tales, 11-Noa Nakaitaci, 12-Wesley Fofana, 13-Gael Fickou, 14-Sofiane Guitoune, 15-Brice Dulin. Replacements: 16-Benjamin Kayser, 17-Eddy Ben Arous, 18-Nicolas Mas, 19-Yoann Maestri, 20-Damien Chouly, 21-Rory Kockott, 22-Frederic Michalak, 23-Mathieu Bastareaud (Corrects stand-in captain to Dimitri Szarzewski, not Vincent Debaty) (Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by David Goodman)