France, April 9 -- Captain Manae Feleu retains her place in the starting line-up, albeit with a switch from lock to back row, but she is just one of seven players to survive from France's third-place defeat by New Zealand in last year's World Cup.

"We wanted the best players at the moment," said Ratier, who coached Canada to the 2014 World Cup final, at a press conference.

"So it turns out there are six (new) ones who'll get a chance to show what they can do on Saturday.

"Obviously that brings fresh energy, but it also shows that no one's place is guaranteed.

"It forces players who were sometimes starters to question themselves, or at the very least to step up a gear."

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