RUGBY:SÉBASTIEN CHABAL, Yannick Jauzion and Clément Poitrenaud are among the notable absentees from France's provisional squad for the rugby World Cup in September.
French coach Marc Lièvremont unveiled the 32-man list in Paris yesterday, calling on the uncapped Biarritz backrow Raphael Lakafia and also including injured trio Fabien Barcella, Thomas Domingo and Aurélien Rougerie.
Chabal, Jauzion and Poitrenaud had been dropped for France’s final Six Nations game after an embarrassing defeat in Italy. Racing Metro number eight Chabal recovered to help his club into the Top 14 semi-finals but the 33-year-old is currently suspended after claiming that French referees were biased. He could face further sanction today when he appears before a league disciplinary commission but Lièvremont insisted yesterday he had left out the 62-time capped player on sporting grounds.
“I assured Sébastien that we wouldn’t be taking into account the latest controversy surrounding him and that we would judge it exclusively on sporting criteria,” he said. “But I’ve seen in the past year a young number eight, by the name of Lakafia, who has been extremely effective and has succeeded in pushing Imanol Harinordoquy to the side of the backrow.
“He’s been consistent and there’s Louis Picamoles as well and his potential, like his match against Leinster in the European Cup semi-final.”
“For me, a few months ago Sébastien was going to the World Cup. Maybe I didn’t do him any favours by calling him up for the Six Nations when he wasn’t competitive . . . but it’s especially the rise of Raphael Lakafia and the recent performances of Louis Picamoles that have pushed him out of the 30.”
France, who will face World Cup hosts New Zealand in their pool, named only two hookers in the squad. Toulouse have the biggest representation, with nine of their players included, although it could have been more had the versatile Poitrenaud and vastly-experienced centre Jauzion not been ignored.
Poitrenaud is widely considered to have paid for a nervous display at fullback against Ireland in February. The 28-year-old, who has been performing well at centre for his club, was informed of the decision less than an hour before the squad was announced.
Poitrenaud’s loss is clubmate Cédric Heymans’ gain, as the 32-year-old was recalled for the first time since November 2009. “It’s a real surprise,” Heymans said yesterday.
Lièvremont has until August 22nd to trim the squad by two, with much depending on the fitness of props Barcella (Achilles tendon) and Domingo (anterior cruciate ligament) and Clermont captain Rougerie (broken ankle).
FRANCE (squad for World Cup): Forwards: Fabien Barcella, Julien Bonnaire, Thomas Domingo, Luc Ducalcon, Thierry Dusautoir (captain), Imanol Harinordoquy, Sylvain Marconnet, Nicolas Mas, Romain Millo-Chluski, Raphael Lakafia, Lionel Nallet, Fulgence Ouedraogo, Pascal Pape, Louis Picamoles, Julien Pierre, Jean-Baptiste Poux, William Servat, Dimitri Szarzewski. Backs: Vincent Clerc, Patrice Estebanez, Cedric Heymans, Yoann Huget, David Marty, Maxime Medard, Maxime Mermoz, Alexis Palisson, Morgan Parra, Aurelien Rougerie, David Skrela, Damien Traille, Francois Trinh-Duc, Dimitri Yachvili.
