France hooker Marchand hopes to be ready to face Italy in last RWC pool game

PARIS (AP) — France hopes to have hooker Julien Marchand fit enough to face Italy in its last Rugby World Cup pool game on Oct. 6.

Marchand limped off with a hamstring injury in the 12th minute of the 27-13 tournament-opening win against New Zealand on Sept. 8. and was ruled out for up to five weeks.

“Everything is going well,” France backs coach Laurent Labit said. “He's in the hands of the medical and performance staff. The Italy match is an objective for him. If he's ready, he'll be on the field, otherwise we'll wait a week longer.”

Having beaten the All Blacks, the French are favorite to win Pool A and to therefore play their quarterfinal on Oct. 15.

Marchand has 32 caps. Peato Mauvaka or Pierre Bourgarit will start for Les Tricolores against Namibia in Marseille on Thursday.

Bourgarit started the 27-12 win against Uruguay, and Mauvaka went on to score a try in the second half of an unexpectedly tough contest for coach Fabien Galthié's side.