PHILIPPE SAINT-ANDRE has selected Freddy Michalak and Remi Tales as his out-half options for the autumn Rugby World Cup after making a final round of cuts today.
France will be Ireland’s main rivals in the pool stage of the tournament and Saint-Andre has selected a group he hopes can record a first win in four years over Ireland to claim top spot in Pool D and so avoid a likely quarter-final meeting with New Zealand.
Montpellier out-half Francois Trinh-Duc (who played in the 2011 World Cup final) and Clermont lock Sébastien Vahaamahina are the stand-out absentees from the regulation 31-man squad. The former Sale coach has instead opted for Michalak as his playmaker and second row options in the shape of Alexandre Flanquart, Yoann Maestri and Pascal Ipo.
Along with Trinh-Duc and Vahaamahina: Toulon’s Xavier Chiocci, La Rochelle flanker Loann Goujon and Castres’ Remi Lamerat have failed to make the jump from France’s provisional 36-strong squad to the final cut.
Forwards: Uini Atonio (La Rochelle), Eddy Ben Arous (Racing Metro), Vincent Debaty (Clermont), Nicolas Mas (Montpellier), Rabah Slimani (Stade Francais), Guilhem Guirado (Toulon), Benjamin Kayser (Clermont), Dimitri Szarzewski (Racing Metro), Alexandre Flanquart (Stade Francais), Yoann Maestri (Toulouse), Pascal Pape (Stade Francais), Thierry Dusautoir (Toulouse), Bernard Le Roux (Racing Metro), Yannick Nyanga (Toulouse), Fulgence Ouedraogo (Montpellier), Damien Chouly (Clermont), Louis Picamoles (Toulouse).
Backs: Rory Kockott (Castres), Morgan Parra (Clermont), Sebastien Tillous-Borde (Toulon), Frederic Michalak (Toulon), Remi Tales (Racing Metro), Mathieu Bastareaud (Toulon), Alexandre Dumoulin (Racing Metro), Gael Fickou (Toulouse), Wesley Fofana (Clermont), Brice Dulin (Racing Metro), Sofiane Guitoune (Bordeaux-Begles), Yoann Huget (Toulouse), Noa Nakaitaci (Clermont), Scott Spedding (Clermont).
