Experienced pair Mathieu Bastareaud and Morgan Parra missed out on France’s 31-man Rugby World Cup squad, head coach Jacques Brunel announced on Tuesday.
Scrumhalf Parra, 30, featured at both the 2011 and 2015 World Cups, but has been suffering from an ankle injury sustained while playing for club side Clermont last month.
🇫🇷 Voici les 37 joueurs retenus pour la préparation de la Coupe du Monde 2019 au Japon ! Il est composé d’un premier groupe de 31 joueurs et de 6 suppléants ! #XVdeFrance #RWC2019 #NeFaisonsXV pic.twitter.com/FeJWbSUmDS
— Fédération Française de Rugby (@FFRugby) June 18, 2019
Centre Bastareaud, also 30, has captained Les Bleus in the absence of regular skipper Guilhem Guirado in recent seasons, and was also a member of the France team that were hammered by New Zealand in the quarter-finals of the 2015 World Cup.
France Squad
ALLDRITT Grégory (Rochelais Stadium)
BAMBA Demba (CA Brive Corrèze)
CAMARA Yacouba (Montpellier Hérault Rugby)
CHAT Camille (Racing 92)
DOUMAYROU Geoffrey (Stade Rochelais)
DUPONT Antoine (Stade Toulousain)
FICKOU Gaël (Stade Français Paris)
FOFANA Wesley (ASM Clermont Auvergne)
GABRILLAGUES Paul (French Stade Paris)
GUIRADO Guilhem (RC Toulon)
GUITOUNE Sofiane (Toulouse Stadium)
HUGET Yoann (Toulouse Stadium)
ITURRIA Arthur (ASM Clermont Auvergne)
LAMBEY Félix (Lyon Olympic University)
LAURET Wenceslas (Racing 92)
LE ROUX Bernard (Racing 92)
Camille LOPEZ (ASM Clermont Auvergne)
Maxime MACHENAUD (Racing 92)
MAUVAKA Peato (Toulousain Stadium)
MEDARD Maxime (Toulouse Stadium)
NTAMACK Romain (Toulouse Stadium)
PENAUD Damian (ASM Clermont Auvergne)
Louis PICAMOLES (Montpellier Hérault Rugby)
POIROT Jefferson (Bordeaux Union-Bègles)
PRISO Dany (Stade Rochelais)
RAKA Alivereti (ASM Clermont Auvergne)
RAMOS Thomas (Toulousain Stadium)
SERIN Baptiste (Bordeaux-Bègles Union)
SETIANO Emerick (RC Toulon)
SLIMANI Rabah (ASM Clermont Auvergne)
VAHAAMAHINA Sébastien (ASM Clermont Auvergne)
Reserves
BELLEAU Anthony (Toulon RC)
CROS François (Toulousain Stadium)
FALGOUX Etienne (ASM Clermont Auvergne)
Charles OLLIVON (RC Toulon)
RATTEZ Vincent (Rochelle Stadium)
WILLEMSE Paul (Montpellier Hérault Rugby)
With France one of England’s main rivals in Pool C, how do you feel about this French squad?