France
head coach Marc Lièvremont has surprisingly dropped Stade
Francais centre Mathieu Bastareaud from his squad for the
forthcoming November internationals.
The
hulking centre was one of the stars of France's 2010 Six
Nations Grand Slam, but his form has fallen off after a
bombastic start to the new season, and he has now paid the
price.
It would
seem that Lièvremont - known in France as 'The Tinkerman' -
has again indulged his penchant for experimentation as he
continues to look at new faces in the continuing build up
towards the 2011 Rugby World Cup. With time running out it
may be that Lièvremont wanted to send a message to
Bastareaud (admittedly of the none-too-subtle variety)
telling the talented youngster that he must not rest on his
laurels.
Top 14 League Table
Barring
a late call-up Bastareaud, 22, will now miss the upcoming
internationals against Fiji, Argentina and Australia, with
Lièvremont also culling Stade Toulousain duo Clément
Poitrenaud and Vincent Clerc, as well as Clermont winger
Julien Malzieu.
Instead,
the France coach has opted to take a first look at Bayonne
winger Yoann Huget, 23. Today's call-up for Huget represents
a dramatic rise for the former Stade Toulousain and SU Agen
centre, who was playing in ProD2 last season, although he
has started 2010 well with four tries in nine Top 14 games
since his summer move from Agen.
Leading try and point-scorers in Top 14
Brive
duo Fabrice Estebanez and Alexis Palisson are both included,
along with Castres winger Marc Andreu, Stade Francais flyer
Julien Arias and Clermont captain Aurélien Rougerie. Yannick
Jauzion and David Marty look to be the likely first-choice
centre partnership, while Stade Toulousain's Maxime Médard
and Perpignan's Jerome Porical are set to fight it out for
the full-back slot.
Morgan Parra and Francois Trinh-Duc remain
the men in possession at half-back, but Biarritz's in-form
Dimitri Yachvili will push the former for his place while
fellow Basque Damien Traille could cover either Trinh-Duc or
the full-back position after recovering from his summer
groin operation.
Stade
Francais hooker Dimitri Szarzewski has been named (as
expected) despite facing a disciplinary hearing due an
alleged head-but at the weekend, while Montpellier captain
Fulgence Ouedraogo has been rewarded for an excellent start
to the domestic season with an international recall.
Racing
duo Lionel Nallet and Sébastien Chabal also both make the
squad, which will again be captained by Stade Toulousain's
Thierry Dusautoir. Perpignan's prop Jérôme Schuster is a
surprise call-up, while Castres prop Luc Ducalcon has also
been summoned.
France Squad
Forwards (17):
Domingo (Clermont), Servat (Toulouse), Szarzewski (Stade
French), Guirado (Perpignan), Schuster (Perpignan), Mas
(Perpignan), Ducalcon (Castres), Nallet (Racing-Metro 92),
Pierre (Clermont), Papé (Stade French), Millo-Chluski
(Toulouse), Dusautoir (Toulouse, cap.) Harinordoquy
(Biarritz), Bonnaire (Clermont), Ouedraogo (Montpellier),
Chabal (Racing-Metro), Lapandry (Clermont ).
Backs
(14): Parra (Clermont), Yachvili
(Biarritz), Trinh-Duc (Montpellier), Traille (Biarritz),
Esteban (Brive), Jauzion (Toulouse), Marty (Perpignan),
Rougerie (Clermont), Andreu (Castres ) Huget (Bayonne),
Arias (Stade French), Médard (Toulouse), Palisson (Brive),
Porical (Perpignan).
