International: Toulouse youngster Maxime
Medard in France squad
30 October 2008
Toulouse utility back
Maxime Medard is the only uncapped player in the 23-man
France squad to play Argentina in Marseille on November 8th.
The 21-year-old, one of
seven Toulouse players in the squad, has been in prime form
for the defending champions so far this season, mostly
playing at full-back, and has been drafted in by coach Marc
Lièvremont.
Medard, who sports
throwback sideburns the great JPR Williams would have been
proud of, was also the leading French try scorer (14) in
last year’s Top 14 competition. He was also a key member of
the French side that won the under-21 World Cup in 2006.
“He’s been producing
excellent performances at Stade Toulousain, we know him from
the age-group levels and were always sure that he would
become a top level player. We expect a lot from him,” said
Lièvremont.
His inclusion is reward
for an excellent 18 months, but there was no place in the
squad for his club colleagues David Skrela and Frederic
Michalak, despite the latter’s return from a successful
season in South Africa this week.
Backs coach Emile N’Tamack
said the Michalak was still in their plans but that he would
be allowed time to resettle back into French club rugby
before returning to the international fold.
“We know that we can count on him, we’re going to let him
find his feet again at his club. He’s barely climbed off the
plane,” added N’Tamack.
There was, however, a call
up for Sale’s Sebastien Chabal, one of three English-based
players named in the 23-man squad.
Chabal, who recently
hinted he would return to France at the end of the season,
is joined by club colleague Lionel Faure and Leicester
Tigers hooker Benjamin Kayser.
Forwards coach Didier
Retieres said Chabal’s inclusion was a “logical choice”
following his impressive showing during the summer tour to
Australia.
While Lièvremont has named only one uncapped
player he has called up Stade Francais’ Lionel Beauxis and
Clermont’s Benoit Baby for the first time since taking over
from Bernard Laporte.
Beauxis has been in
outstanding form for the current leaders and, like Medard,
has versatility on his side. This season he has been
alternating between full-back and fly-half with Juan Martin
Hernandez.
Baby last played for
France against Australia in July 2005.
Lièvremont, who was
criticised for over experimentation during last year’s Six
Nations tournament, said he now intends to build his team
around a settled squad of players.
“We’re working with a
perspective towards construction, but we now want to work
with a more closed group, to work on combinations and
building partnerships,” he said after the squad was
announced.
“That does not mean there
won’t be changes. There are always injuries and we have a
list of players we’ll be following attentively in this
weekend’s Top 14. There are about 35 players in our
short-term plans,” he added.
France take on Argentina
in Marseille on November 8th and follow up with matches
against the Pacific Islands and Australia on successive
weekends.
France
squad:
Forwards: Lionel
Faure (Sale/ENG), Fabien Barcella (Biarritz), Dimitri
Szarzewski (Stade Français), Benjamin Kayser
(Leicester/ENG), Nicolas Mas (Perpignan), Benoit Lecouls
(Toulouse), Lionel Nallet (Castres, capt), Sebastien Chabal
(Sale/ENG), Romain Millo-Chluski (Toulouse), Thierry
Dusautoir (Toulouse), Fulgence Ouedraogo (Montpellier),
Louis Picamoles (Montpellier), Imanol Harinordoquy
(Biarritz)
Backs: Morgan Parra
(Bourgoin), Jean-Baptiste Elissalde (Toulouse), Vincent
Trinh-Duc (Montpellier), Lionel Beauxis (Stade Français),
Yannick Jauzion (Toulouse), Benoit Baby (Clermont), Alexis
Palisson (Brive), Cedric Heymans (Toulouse), Maxime Medard
(Toulouse), Julien Malzieu (Clermont)
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