Setter Daisuke Usami and ace Ryu Morishige were replaced as starters in the second set but France countered with solid blocks and defeated Japan 25-16, 25-22, 23-25, 25-21 in the Tokyo round of the men's volleyball World League on Sunday.
Undefeated France, which beat Olympic champion Yugoslavia in its opening two matches and stopped Japan on Saturday, took advantage of 34 Japanese errors at Yoyogi national gymnasium to maintain the top spot in Group D.