World Cup:French coach Bernard Laporte has confirmed some high-profile omissions in announcing his 30-man squad for the forthcoming Rugby World Cup which will see them compete at the pool stage alongside Ireland and Argentina among others. Notable absentees include Oliver Magne, Pascal Pape, Dimitri Yachvili and Thomas Castaignede. John O'Sullivanreports
Pape captained France in their recent two-Test series against New Zealand and while the summer tour ended in two crushing defeats against the world-ranked number one side, it hardly constituted a surprise given that the visitors were without most of their front-line players who were required for the French Championship.
Laporte's decision to take only three front-line secondrows in veteran captain Fabien Pelous, Lionel Nallet and Jerome Thion meant that Pape was surplus to requirement after the coach decided that Sale number eight Sebastien Chabal could deputise in the engine room is required.
The French coach pointed out that he had spoken to Chabal who was excited about his potential dual role.
"I spoke to him on the phone. We're taking him as a versatile number eight and secondrower. He seems fired up by the possibility of playing secondrow."
Magne's experience has been passed over in favour of two young backrow players Remy Martin and Yannick Nyanga, neither of whom featured in this season's Six Nations Championship because of injury. While Magne was a key player for London Irish, Nyanga, upon his return to fitness, wasn't a first-choice selection for Toulouse in the latter part of the season.
Laporte, though, has favoured the rangy flanker over his more experienced and appreciably older counterpart. The presence of another player whose season has been severely curtailed by injury, Freddie Michalak, allowed the coach some latitude in terms of his halfbacks.
The fact that Michalak can play both scrumhalf and outhalf meant that Yachvili had to contest the two remaining places with first-choice number nine Pierre Mignoni and another Toulouse player in Jean Baptiste Elissalde.
Yachvili lost out but has the minor consolation of a place on the standby list along with Pape amongst others.
Elissalde graciously admitted: "It's a huge relief, and I'm delighted because it was always going to be tight between us three. I'm thinking of Dimitri today, and I know I've been given a great opportunity. I hope to do my selection justice."
Versatility is a theme that runs through the squad with several players capable of lining out in multiple positions.
In plumping for three centres in Yannick Jauzion, Damien Traille and David Marty, Laporte is aware that two of his outhalves, Lionel Beauxis and David Skrela, can also play in midfield while Traille has played Test rugby in the number 10 jersey.
The affable Francophile and Saracens fullback Thomas Castaignede travelled to New Zealand but like Pape has been overlooked. Laporte has instead bucked the trend in terms of his general selection policy by opting for a specialist in Toulouse's Clement Poitrenaud.
Castaignede had missed the 2003 World Cup but was considered a strong contender to make this year's staging.
Team manager Jo Maso pointed out: "It was a difficult decision to make leaving Thomas on the sidelines. But our decision wasn't based on his performances in New Zealand, it was based on the performances of other players."
Poitrenaud conceded: "Fortune has smiled on me because in the end I was the only real back in contention. That allowed me to play all five matches in the Six Nations, and that was decisive for this selection."
Sylvain Marconnet is named as one of the three props, even though he is still recovering from a broken leg suffered while skiing during the Six Nations. Pelous and Raphael Ibañez, the Wasps hooker, are set to share the captaincy during the tournament.
The French open the World Cup with their clash against Argentina. Laporte's charges will soon begin a five-week period of preparation for the tournament, which includes training camps at altitude at Val-d'Isere in the Alps (July 9th-13th) and at Font-Romeu in the Pyrenees (July 15th-20th). They will then play three warm-up matches, against England on August 11th at Twickenham and a week later in Marseille, and against Wales on August 25th in Cardiff .
World Cup squads
France: Forwards:Sylvain Marconnet (Stade Français), Pieter De Villiers (Stade Français), Olivier Milloud (Bourgoin), Jean-Baptiste Poux (Stade Toulousain), Raphaël Ibañez (London Wasps), Dimitri Szarzewski (Stade Français), Sébastien Bruno (Sale Sharks), Fabien Pelous (Stade Toulousain), Jérôme Thion (Biarritz), Sébastien Chabal (Sale Sharks), Lionel Nallet (Castres), Serge Betsen (Biarritz), Julien Bonnaire (Bourgoin), Imanol Harinordoquy (Biarritz), Elvis Vermeulen (Clermont), Yannick Nyanga (Stade Toulousain), Rémy Martin (Stade Français).
Backs:Pierre Mignoni (Clermont), Jean-Baptiste Elissalde (Stade Toulousain), Frédéric Michalak (Stade Toulousain), David Skrela (Stade Français), Lionel Beauxis (Stade Français), Yannick Jauzion (Stade Toulousain), Damien Traille (Biarritz), David Marty (Perpignan), Christophe Dominici (Stade Français), Aurélien Rougerie (Clermont), Cédric Heymans (Stade Toulousain), Vincent Clerc (Stade Toulousain), Clément Poitrenaud (Stade Toulousain).
Additional players:Benjamin Kayser (Stade Français), Laurent Emmanuelli (Clermont), Nicolas Mas (Perpignan), Pascal Papé (Castres/Stade Français), Grégory Lamboley (Stade Toulousain), Thierry Dusautoir (Stade Toulousain), Olivier Magne (London Irish); Dimitri Yachvili (Biarritz), Benjamin Boyet (Bourgoin), Brian Liebenberg (Stade Français), Jean-Philippe Grandclaude (Perpignan).
