France name World Cup roster

Thierry Dusautoir will captain France in a second consecutive Rugby World Cup it was confirmed this morning by French Head Coach Philippe Saint-André. The back-rower is one of five Toulouse players involved, a low number compared to the ten at Rugby World Cup 2007 and the eight in 2011.

A total of nine clubs are to be represented with all of Bordeaux, Castres, Clermont, La Rochelle, Montpellier, Racing, Stade Français, Toulon and Toulouse having at least one player on the roster.

The 31-man player roster sees the controversial exclusion of fly half François Trinh-Duc with Rémi Talès and Frédéric Michalak both included. Trinh-Duc has been the leading fly half in the Top 14 in recent years yet does not meet Saint-Andre’s criteria. Of note is that Michalak has been unable to start for Toulon and that Tales is set to also be out of the Racing 92 team this season.

Camille Lopez and Jules Plisson also both miss out despite being fit and having been used regularly unlike both Michalak and Talès. Like Trinh-Duc they will instead be playing in the Top 14 as will Pierre Bernard, another player to have arguably been a better fly half in the domestic league than those selected for the World Cup.

Saint-André has opted for just the two fly halves but has named three scrumhalves with South African Rory Kockott joining Morgan Parra and Sébastien Tillous-Borde. Kockott is one of five foreign born and raised players among the roster. The others are prop Uini Atonio, back-rower Bernard le Roux, winger Noa Nakaitaci and fullback Scott Spedding.

In naming the 31-man player roster Trinh-Duc was joined by four others in missing out – prop Xavier Chiocci, second-rower Sébastien Vaha’amahina, back-rower Loann Goujon and center Rémi Lamerat. They are to return to their clubs.

France will begin the World Cup on day two of the competition against Italy at Twickenham Stadium in London. A quick turn-around will see the French facing Romania four days later at London’s Olympic Stadium before having eight days to prepare to face Canada in Milton Keynes. France will then face Ireland in Cardiff, Wales on the closing day of pool play.

FORWARDS
Uini Atonio (La Rochelle), Eddy Ben Arous (Racing), Vincent Debaty (Clermont), Nicolas Mas (Montpellier), Rabah Slimani (Stade Français), Guilhem Guirado (Toulon), Benjamin Kayser (Clermont), Dimitri Szarzewski (Stade Français), Alexandre Flanquart (Stade Français), Yoann Maestri (Toulouse), Pascal Papé (Stade Français), Thierry Dusautoir (Toulouse), Bernard le Roux (Racing), Yannick Nyanga (Racing), Fulgence Ouedraogo (Montpellier), Damien Chouly (Clermont), Louis Picamoles (Toulouse)

BACKS
Rory Kockott (Castres), Morgan Parra (Clermont), Sébastien Tillous-Borde (Toulon), Frédéric Michalak (Toulon), Rémi Talès (Racing), Mathieu Bastareaud (Toulon), Alexandre Dumoulin (Racing), Gaël Fickou (Toulouse), Wesley Fofana (Clermont), Brice Dulin (Racing), Sofiane Guitoune (Bordeaux), Yoann Huget (Toulouse), Noa Nakaitaci (Clermont), Scott Spedding (Clermont)