France drop Bastareaud from World Cup squad

Mathieu Bastareaud has arrived in New York, but it looks like he won’t be flying to Tokyo this fall. The superstar center touched down in the Big Apple this past week to formally sign his contract with Rugby United New York for the 2020 Major League Rugby season. In a surprise move, however, France have omitted the former captain from their World Cup squad.

The announcement comes just a month after naming a preliminary squad of 65, in which Bastareaud was included. France have opted to name their 31 early. With final rosters not due until the end of August there is a chance for reprieve in the case of injury, but as it stands the 30-year-old veteran of 54 tests will not be taking part in rugby’s flagship tournament.

Chosen ahead of Bastareaud in the midfield are La Rochelle’s Geoffrey Doumayrou and in-form Sofiane Guitoune of Toulouse. The latter has not played for France since the 2015 World Cup, where he played just one match as a winger against Romania.

Other notables excluded from the selection include props Eddy Ben Arous and Uini Atonio, loose forward Kévin Gourdon, and winger Teddy Thomas. Clermont scrumhalf Morgan Parra has been ruled out with an ankle injury but Maxime Machenaud is fit for duty after missing the Six Nations.

Three uncapped players have made the grade – Toulouse hooker Peato Mauvaka, Toulon tighthead prop Emerick Setiano, and Clermont winger Alivereti Raka. The latter, a native of Fiji, qualifies on residency and gained his French citizenship in December.

France will compete against Argentina, England, Tonga, and the USA in Pool C at RWC 2019.

FORWARDS
Jefferson Poirot (Bordeaux Bègles), Dany Priso (La Rochelle), Camille Chat (Racing 92), Guilhem Guirado (capt., Toulon), Peato Mauvaka (Toulouse), Demba Bamba (Brive), Emerick Setiano (Toulon), Rabah Slimani (Clermont Auvergne), Paul Gabrillagues (Stade Français), Félix Lambey (Lyon), Bernard le Roux (Racing 92), Sébastien Vaha’amahina (Clermont Auvergne), Gregory Alldritt (La Rochelle), Yacouba Camara (Montpellier), Arthur Iturria (Clermont Auvergne), Wenceslas Lauret (Racing 92), Louis Picamoles (Montpellier)

BACKS
Antoine Dupont (Toulouse), Maxime Machenaud (Racing 92), Baptiste Serin (Bordeaux Bègles), Camille Lopez (Clermont Auvergne), Romain Ntamack (Toulouse), Geoffrey Doumayrou (La Rochelle), Gaël Fickou (Stade Français), Wesley Fofana (Clermont Auvergne), Sofiane Guitoune (Toulouse), Yoann Huget (Toulouse), Maxime Médard (Toulouse), Damien Penaud (Clermont Auvergne), Alivereti Raka (Clermont Auvergne), Thomas Ramos (Toulouse)

ALTERNATES
Étienne Falgoux (Clermont Auvergne), Paul Willemse (Montpellier), François Cros (Toulouse), Charles Ollivon (Toulon), Anthony Belleau (Toulon), Vincent Rattez (La Rochelle)