FRANCE MANAGER Philippe Saint-Andre yesterday named uncapped lock Yoann Maestri and centre Wesley Fofana in his squad for the opening Six Nations championship match against Italy. Saint-Andre, who took over from Marc Lievremont after last year’s World Cup, included 17 players from the squad who lost the final against hosts New Zealand by a point, including 14 of the starting line-up.
“It is quite coherent. Alexis Palisson (the only World Cup final starter to be omitted) can be disappointed but we have players who are in great form, like (Lionel)Beauxis and (Julien) Malzieu,” Saint-Andre said.
“We will try to use the World Cup squad as a starting point and gradually include some young players with great potential, hoping they will become regulars in four years.”
Prop David Attoub, who was not named in the initial 30-man squad this month, was a surprise inclusion for the Italy game at the Stade de France on February 4th because of Luc Ducalcon’s lack of match time with Castres.
“He (Ducalcon) has only played 25 minutes with his club. We wanted to include Attoub, who is a regular starter with Stade Français as a tighthead prop. And we know the Italians’ scrum is very good,” said Saint-Andre.
Attoub, who won his only cap in June 2006, received a record 70-week ban in 2009 when found guilty of making contact with the eye area of Ulster’s Stephen Ferris during a Heineken Cup match.
Meanwhile, Toulon president Mourad Boudjellal has been handed a 130-day suspension after complaining his side were the victims of “refereeing sodomy”, the French rugby league said yesterday. Boudjellal hit out at the match officials after his side lost a Top 14 league game against Clermont earlier this month.
Boudjellal, who refused to apologise to referee Christophe Berdos, will not have access to the pitch, players and referees, dressingroom and “corridors to these zones” until June 3rd, 2012”.
FRANCE SQUAD: Backs: Morgan Parra, Dimitri Yachvili, François Trinh-Duc, Lionel Beauxis, Aurelien Rougerie, Maxime Mermoz, Wesley Fofana, Vincent Clerc, Julien Malzieu, Maxime Medard. Forwards: David Attoub, Vincent Debaty, Nicolas Mas, Jean-Baptiste Poux, William Servat, Dimitri Szarzewski, Pascal Pape, Yoann Maestri, Lionel Nallet, Julien Bonnaire, Thierry Dusautoir, Louis Picamoles, Imanol Harinordoquy.
