Injuries hit France squad for Down Under

[robyn <3]

Injuries hit France squad for Down Under

The French squad to play Tests next month in New Zealand and Australia has been badly hit by injuries with three experienced players pulling out with injuries on Sunday and Monday.

First to withdraw was halfback Morgan Parra who injured his left shoulder playing for Bourgoin against Northampton in the European Challenge Cup final on Saturday.

He was replaced by former first choice No.9 Dimitri Yachvili of Biarritz

On Monday both lock and captain Lionel Nallet and backrower Imanol Harinordoquy joined him on the sidelines, the former with bruised ribs and the latter with a painful shoulder.

They were replaced by Remy Martin of Bayonne and Damien Chouly of Perpignan.

The French play two Tests against the All Blacks in Dunedin on June 13 and Wellington on June 20 and one Test against the Qantas Wallabies in Sydney on June 27.

Revised France squad:-

Forwards: Fabien Barcella, Thomas Domingo, Dimitri Szarzewski , Guilhem Guirado, William Servat, Sylvain Marconnet, Nicolas Mas, Damien Chouly, Sebastien Chabal, Romain Millo-Chluski, Pascal Pape, Louis Picamoles, Remy Martin, Julien Bonnaire, Fulgence Ouedraogo, Thierry Dusautoir. Backs: Dimitri Yachvili, Julien Dupuy, David Skrela, Franois Trinh-Duc, Maxime Mermoz, Yannick Jauzion, Florian Fritz, Mathieu Bastareaud, Alexis Palisson, Damien Traille, Aurelien Rougerie, Cedric Heymans, Vincent Clerc, Maxime Medard.

http://www.rugby.com.au/news/aap/s-5.../section/21893

[slomo]

situation normal, for the french they never travel with a full squad...

[jargan83]

Wallabies by lots, like last year
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[blueandblack]

yep, cricket score.

[travelling_gerry]

French promise tough Tri Nations primer with a top-flight squad
Rupert Guinness | May 27, 2009

THE Wallabies face their toughest lead-in to the Tri Nations in years with the French finally fulfilling their promise to send their strongest possible squad to Australia for next month's Test.

While the French yesterday announced three withdrawals from their 30-man touring party due to injury - including captain and second-rower Lionel Nallet - it is still their best since 2002.

As many as 20 members of their selected touring squad play for teams placed in the first four of their Top 14 competition - Perpignan, Toulouse, Clermont and Stade Francaise.

And while they still have to play the semi-finals on June 2 and some of them the final on June 6, all of them will be available to play the Wallabies at ANZ Stadium in Sydney on June 27.

The calibre of the French is also shown by the 726 Test caps they share, as is the potential closeness of the France-Australia clash as the 29-man Wallabies squad boasts a total 721 caps.

Confirmation of the French selection means the domestic international season should provide the Wallabies with an ideal four-match preparation for the Tri Nations starting in July.

It begins with the Wallabies playing a star-studded Barbarians side, including Wallabies Rocky Elsom, Phil Waugh and Chris Whitaker, at the Sydney Football Stadium on Saturday week. Yesterday the Australian Rugby Union announced that the two sides would play their first match against each other in Australia for the Nick Shehadie Cup, named after Wallabies great and former Sydney Lord Mayor, Sir Nicholas Shehadie who earned 30 Test caps [three of them as captain] and was in the 1947-48 tour to Britain, Ireland and France when they also played the Barbarians in their first game against an international side.

The Barbarians clash at the SFS will be followed by Tests versus Italy in Canberra on June 13 and Melbourne on June 20 before the Wallabies play the French at ANZ Stadium on June 27.

ARU deputy chief executive Matt Carroll yesterday said the Barbarians clash should be "great, free-flowing rugby", but then warned that "people shouldn't expect the Italians to be a pushover".

"Then there is a cracker of a French side. For a Test season, it's a great mixture of opposition."

The withdrawal from Les Bleus through injury of Nallet (ribs), back-rower Imanol Harinordoquy (shoulder) and halfback Morgan Parra (shoulder) has led to them being replaced respectively by Remy Martin, Damien Chouly and Dimitri Yachvili who between them have earned 60 Test caps.

However, unlike past years when the French have toured with B selections, they have finally responded to heavy ARU criticism by naming a squad laden with top-calibre talent.

Some will miss the first All Blacks Test in Dunedin on June 13, as they will have played the Top 14 final a week before and be spelled. That could impact on their team's result in the second All Blacks Test at Wellington on June 20 as their top selection will have had limited time together. But France should be ready to unleash their best against the Wallabies.

Adding to the pressure is that French coach Marc Lievremont must show his side can avenge a poor third place in the Six Nations; and FFR president Pierre Camou will accept nothing less. "I'm expecting excellence from France. The period for experimenting is over," Camou said. "The constraints of playing away from home no longer constitute an excuse."

Revised France squad:-

Forwards (16): Fabien Barcella (Biarritz), Thomas Domingo (Clermont), Dimitri Szarzewski (Stade Franais), Guilhem Guirado (Perpignan), William Servat (Stade Toulousain), Sylvain Marconnet (Stade Franais), Nicolas Mas (Perpignan), Damien Chouly (Perpignan), Sebastien Chabal (Sale/ENG), Romain Millo-Chluski (Stade Toulousain), Pascal Pape (Stade Franais), Louis Picamoles (Montpellier), Remy Martin (Bayonne), Julien Bonnaire (Clermont), Fulgence Ouedraogo (Montpellier), Thierry Dusautoir (Toulouse, capt)

Backs (14): Dimitri Yachvili (Biarritz), Julien Dupuy (Leicester/ENG), David Skrela (Toulouse), Franois Trinh-Duc (Montpellier), Maxime Mermoz (Perpignan), Yannick Jauzion (Toulouse), Florian Fritz (Toulouse), Mathieu Bastareaud (Stade Franais), Alexis Palisson (Brive), Damien Traille (Biarritz), Aurelien Rougerie (Clermont), Cedric Heymans (Toulouse), Vincent Clerc (Toulouse), Maxime Medard (Toulouse)

� Brumbies coach Andy Friend yesterday confirmed that he has spoken to Rocky Elsom - the former Waratahs and current Leinster Heineken Cup hero - about possibly joining the side.

However, while the Brumbies are looking for a back-rower and Elsom appears keen to return to Australia, Friend was unsure which Super 14 franchise would snare the 112kg 26-year-old.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/sport/ru/

[mudskipper]

French play some tough rugby... Unfortunately Shep broke his leg agaiinst last year... lets hope for no injurues before the Tri-nations... and Shep get well and keep your chin up...

[jargan83]

French play some tough rugby....

There is a Reason the middle colour of the French flag is white and it hasn't got anything to do with them being tough

Scores of 34-13 and 40-10 last year hardly imply it either

[Sheikh]

I reckon the French will be a tougher bet this year. That's still pretty close to the 6 Nations squad and they've had a year more together (the squad got broken up after the World Cup).