France make sweeping changes

New France coach Marc Lievremont has stuck to his word and opted for youth in his first squad selection ahead of their opening Six Nations clash with Scotland in Murrayfield on February 3rd.

Since taking over from Bernard Laporte the former Dax coach has insisted he is looking to the future and that nobody was safe from the axe.

His clearout process was helped somewhat by the retirements of hooker Raphael Ibanez, flanker Serge Betsen, lock and former captain Fabien Pelous and wing Christophe Dominici.

But the former backrower did not stop there.  He has also omitted the indomitable Sebastien Chabal and the experienced trio of lock Jerome Thion, fullback Clement Poitrenaud, scrumhalf Pierre Mignoni and centre David Marty.

Injuries to Sylvain Marconnet, Pieter De Villiers and Olivier Milloud mean there are call-ups for uncapped props Julien Brugnaut and Lionel Faure - of Dax and Sale Sharks respectively.

Arnaud Mela and Loic Jacquet are new names in the secondrow, joining recently appointed captain Lionel Nallet in that department.

In the backrow, Montpellier's Ouedraogo Fulgence, who has one cap to his name, is chosen and there is a return for Clermont-Auvergne number eight Elvis Vermeulen.

Household names like Chabal, Remy Martin, Imanol Harinordoquy and Yannick Nyanga all miss out in the backrow and there are further surprises behind the scrum.

Bourgoin's Morgan Parra gets the nod over Pierre Mignoni as the second-choice scrumhalf behind Jean-Baptiste Elissalde, while uncapped Montpellier outhalf Francois Trinh-Duc will be David Skrela's understudy.

With Marty dropped and Yannick Jauzion injured, Damien Traille is joined by the returning Florian Fritz at centre, while in the back three, uncapped Clermont-Auvergne winger Julien Malzieu is chosen ahead of Toulouse fullback Poitrenaud.

Lievremont, who took charge at the end of October, said: "Over the past three months, we have watched a lot of matches and followed the progress of French rugby. We have considered everyone.

"We took into consideration everything, the players in form and the team we are to be playing against."

Bernard Lapasset, the president of the French Rugby Federation, said Lievremont had been "courageous" in naming so many changes in his first squad, and insisted Les Bleus had to look ahead to the 2011 World Cup.

Lievremont confirmed the selection committee would meet on February 4th to discuss whether there will be changes to the squad for France's second match of the tournament, against Ireland at the Stade de France the following Saturday.

Forwards:Brugnaut (Dax), Faure (Sale Sharks), Poux, Servat (both Toulouse), Szarzewski (Stade Francais), Jacquet (Clermont-Auvergne), Nallet (Castres, capt), Mela (Albi), Bonnaire (Clermont-Auvergne), Dusautoir (Toulouse), Fulgence (Montpellier), Vermeulen (Clermont-Auvergne).

Backs:Elissalde (Toulouse), Parra (Bourgoin), Skrela (Stade Francais), Trinh-Duc (Montpellier), Fritz (Toulouse), Traille (Biarritz), Clerc, Heymans (both Toulouse), Malzieu, Rougerie (both Clermont-Auvergne).