Louis Picamoles and Noa Nakaitaci will start against Ireland as France go for the jugular against Ireland in Cardiff on Sunday.
The victors will top Pool D and avoid the All Blacks to meet Argentina in the quarter-finals, and Les Bleus boss Philippe Saint-Andre has fielded a bullish starting line-up.
France's rhetoric all week has revolved around targeting Ireland pivot Johnny Sexton, and captain Thierry Dusautoir and number eight Picamoles will be central to that aim.
Powerful Fiji-born wing Nakaitaci has been restored in a clear bid from France to exploit all their line-breaking options.
Ireland have already been explicit about the threats carried by Toulouse number eight Picamoles.
"Picamoles has always been dangerous as a ball carrier," said Ireland's forwards coach Simon Easterby.
"He has the ability to knock players off if you go too high, and he also has ability to offload pretty well.
"It obviously helps when you have someone like (former France flanker) Imanol Harinordoquy playing alongside you at your club, as Picamoles has.
"His experience for the French and Biarritz is exceptional. And I am sure his work rubs off on Picamoles.
"He along with a number of players in their pack have the ability to carry and offload.
"We have to trust what we do without the ball and make sure that we are on top of our game when we are defending."
Toulon battering-ram Mathieu Bastareaud will start at outside centre, but there can be no doubt France will send him straight down Sexton's channel in the Pool D decider.
Wesley Fofana takes the 12 shirt, meaning he and Bastareaud will form a midfield combination for the 13th time. Only Damien Traille and Yannick Jauzion have combined more often in the centres for France, that duo dovetailing 15 times for Les Bleus.
France team to play Ireland: S Spedding; N Nakaitaci, M Bastareaud, W Fofana, B Dulin; F Michalak, S Tillous-Borde; E Ben Arous, G Guirado, R Slimani, P Pape, Y Maestri, T Dusautoir (capt), D Chouly, L Picamoles.
Replacements: B Kayser, V Debaty, N Mas, A Flanquart, B Le Roux, M Parra, R Tales, A Dumoulin.
Source: PA
