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Scrum-half Julien Dupuy is the only new cap in France's side to play New Zealand in the first Test in Dunedin on Saturday.

The 25-year-old has won his place on the back of outstanding form with English champions Leicester and will carry the goal-kicking duties into the match.

He will be paired with first fly-half Francois Trinh-Duc for the first time. The experienced core of the backline, in inside centre Damien Traille and wings Vincent Clerc and Cedric Heymans, will provide the teeth in the French attack.

Les Bleus have only won three Tests in New Zealand since their first tour in 1961 with victories in 1979 and in both Tests of the 1994 series.

New Zealand team management have been downplaying the last encounter between the two sides, which saw the All Blacks exit the World Cup in 2007 at the quarter-final stage.

French coach Marc Lievremont has not settled on his bench and has named nine players, including the props Nicolas Mas and Thomas Domingo, who each played in last weekend's Top 14 final.

Lievremont will drop two from the bench before the match kicks off.

Team: 15-Maxime Medard, 14-Cedric Heymans, 13-Mathieu Bastareaud, 12-Damien Traille, 11-Vincent Clerc, 10-Francois Trinh-Duc, 9-Julien Dupuy, 8-Louis Picamoles, 7-Fulgence Ouedraogo, 6-Thierry Dusautoir (captain), 5-Romain Millo-Chluski, 4-Pascal Pape, 3-Sylvain Marconnet, 2-William Servat, 1-Fabien Barcella.

Replacements: Dimitri Szarzewski, Nicolas Mas, Thomas Domingo, Sebastien Chabal, Remy Martin, Julien Puricelli, Dimitri Yachvili, Yannick Jauzion, Alexis Palisson (two to be omitted).

PA Sport