France cuts Bastareaud for November tests

PARIS - Mathieu Bastareaud was omitted from France’s squad for next month’s home tests and warned by coach Marc Lievremont on Wednesday to improve his fitness or he’ll miss out on the 2011 World Cup.

By (AP)

Published: Wed 27 Oct 2010, 9:32 PM

Last updated: Mon 6 Apr 2015, 4:40 AM

Bastareaud was France’s starting center during its Six Nations Grand Slam campaign this year.

Lievremont said he’s counting on Bastareaud for the World Cup in New Zealand but wants the midfielder to improve his physical condition by training more consistently.

“It would be sad if a guy like Mathieu doesn’t travel with us at the World Cup,” Lievremont said. “It’s been one year now that we are trying to make him understand, but he doesn’t do enough to be competitive in an event like the World Cup.”

Despite strong performances with his club in the French Top 14, the powerfully built Bastareaud was punished for his lack of training which has led to extra weight.

Lievremont also left out Toulouse backs Vincent Clerc and Clement Poitrenaud.

“Clement is not there for sporting reasons. He doesn’t play bad matches, but Julien Arias is decisive every weekend and scores tries,” Lievremont said. “Clerc is not there because he is struggling to get back in shape.”

Lievremont picked Dimitri Szarzewski in his squad of 31 players even though the hooker risks a lengthy ban following a headbutting incident.

Szarzewski has a disciplinary case pending after headbutting Toulon’s Jean-Philippe Genevois in a league match last weekend. The French league’s disciplinary commission will decide on his case on Nov. 8.

“He risks a suspension but hopefully the commission will show him clemency,” Lievremont said.

France plays Fiji on Nov. 13 in Nantes, followed by games against Argentina in Montpellier and Australia at the Stade de France.

The two new caps in the squad were Perpignan prop Jerome Schuster and Bayonne winger Yoann Huget. The 25-year-old Schuster was picked as a replacement for the injured Fabien Barcella while Huget was enjoying an excellent start to the season with his club.

“This is a big surprise, I didn’t expect to be called up even if there were rumors circulating,” Schuster told L’Equipe TV channel. “I’m not going to celebrate this properly because I have a match on Friday night.”

Most of the players selected featured in the Six Nations but some of them will be used in a different role, with Sebastien Chabal likely to play in the loose forwards and Aurelien Rougerie to be tested as a center, his new position at Clermont.

France: Forwards: Thomas Domingo, Luc Ducalcon, Nicolas Mas, Jerome Schuster, Guilhem Guirado, William Servat, Dimitri Szarzewski, Romain Millo-Chlusky, Lionel Nallet, Pascal Pape, Julien Pierre, Julien Bonnaire, Sebastien Chabal, Thierry Dusautoir, Imanol Harinordoquy, Alexandre Lapandry, Fulgence Ouedraogo. Backs: Morgan Parra, Dimitri Yachvili, Damien Traille, Francois Trinh-Duc, Fabrice Estebanez, Yannick Jauzion, David Marty, Aurelien Rougerie, Marc Andreu, Julien Arias, Yohann Huget, Maxime Medard, Alexis Palisson, Jerome Porical.