France heads into its quarter-final clash against the All Blacks with a couple of selection gambles from coach Bernard Laporte.

The inexperienced Lionel Beauxis has been chosen to start at No 10, while regular centre Damien Traille has been named at fullback.

The Beauxis decision is the biggest surprise, with the 21-year-old preferred ahead of Frederic Michalak and David Skrela – France’s first choice pivot during the last Six Nations.

"It was not easy but we've come up with a team that's well balanced and will allow us to live up to the challenge," said France manager Jo Maso.

"We've got goalkicking abilities (in Beauxis), punch at the back (in Traille) and fighters up front," he added. "We've put all the ingredients which, we believe, will help us counter opponents who will naturally start as favourites. We have faith in our team and in our players."

Captain Raphael Ibanez, lock Fabien Pelous and prop Pieter de Villiers, who all featured in France’s memorable 43-31 semifinal win over the All Blacks in the 1999 World Cup, have been named to start.

France: 15 Damien Traille, 14 Vincent Clerc, 13 David Marty, 12 Yannick Jauzion, 11 Cédric Heymans, 10 Lionel Beauxis, 9 Jean-Baptiste Elissalde, 8 Julien Bonnaire, 7 Thierry Dusautoir, 6 Serge Betsen, 5 Jérôme Thion, 4 Fabien Pelous, 3 Pieter de Villiers, 2 Raphaël Ibanez (c), 1 Olivier Milloud.

Replacements: 16 Dimitri Szarzewski, 17 Jean-Baptiste Poux, 18 Sébastien Chabal, 19 Imañol Harinordoquy, 20 Frédéric Michalak, 21 Christophe Dominici, 22 Clément Poitrenaud.