Saint-Andre favours experience as France name World Cup squad

France coach Philippe Saint-Andre said on Tuesday he had favoured experience as he named Montpellier fly-half Francois Trinh-Duc and Toulon veteran Frederic Michalak in his 36-man squad for the World Cup.

Trinh-Duc, 28, and Michalak, 32, were given the nod ahead of Clermont flyhalf Camille Lopez, 26, for the September 18 to October 31 tournament in England.

"We really chose experience," said Saint-Andre, whose side bid to overturn a record of just 15 wins for two draws and 20 defeats in the past three years.

"Both in terms of Francois Trinh-Duc, who has returned to form for his club and knows a World Cup (2011) as Remi Tales, who knows our systems well and the France team," the France coach continued.

"And as Sebastien Tillous-Borde (scrumhalf) is not a kicker, we needed a fly-half with a lot of guarantees of scoring.

"Frederic Michalak has a 90 percent success for France. He had a complicated and difficult season but he knows the World Cup experience. He has made two (2003 and 2007)," he added.

Trinh-Duc, capped 49 times, returned in March after five months out with a fractured leg, while 71-times capped Michalak is recovering from a hand injury.
Lopez, capped nine times, had been Saint-Andre's first choice fly-half since November, playing three Tests in November and the first four of France's disappointing Six Nations campaign before picking up a knee injury.

"I prefer that we talk about those who are here," said Saint-Andre. "Camille remains in a list of 50 players, he was injured and a little in difficulty on the pitch. He needs to rediscover all his serenity on the pitch and his physical form."

Saint-Andre, who moves aside as coach after the World Cup, added: "Michalak presents enormous guarantees as a kicker."

Castres' Tales is the third fly-half in the group but the coach insisted that Stade Francais' Jules Plisson, recovering from a shoulder injury, will train with the group with a decision set for early August.

Another surprise inclusion was Montpellier flanker Fulgence Ouedraogo while notable absentees included Toulouse's Maxime Medard, Racing Metro's Teddy Thomas and Maxime Machenaud, along with Toulon trio Maxime Mermoz, Alexandre Menini and Romain Taofifenua.

Ouedraogo and Clermont's Sebastien Vahaamahina, who have not featured since the tour of Australia in June 2014, were given their chance to impress.

Toulon prop Xavier Chiocci, absent from the Six Nations, has also won a place thanks to his recent strong club form, as Toulouse flanker Louis Picamoles was named after two years of injury and poor form.

The scrum-half lineup remains unchanged from the Six Nations with Rory Kockott, Tillous-Borde and Morgan Parra getting the nod, as Racing Metro's Machenaud failed to topple the hierarchy.

But Toulouse's fullback and wing Medard, 28, with 41 caps and a key member of the squad for the 2011 World Cup, failed to convince the coaching staff this time round.

Mermoz, who had a sometimes conflictual relationship with the staff, also fails to feature, despite lining out in their last match in England.

The 36 players will gather at the National Rugby Centre outside Paris from July 6 before training camps at Tignes in the French Alps, the Pyrenees, as well as Twickenham.

The group will be reduced to 31 by August 23 the day after a second friendly against England.

Forwards (20)

Uini Atonio (La Rochelle), Eddy Ben Arous (Racing-Metro), Xavier Chiocci (Toulon), Vincent Debaty (Clermont), Nicolas Mas (Montpellier), Rabah Slimani (Stade Français); Guilhem Guirado (Toulon), Benjamin Kayser (Clermont), Dimitri Szarzewski (Racing-Métro); Alexandre Flanquart (Stade Français), Yoann Maestri (Toulouse), Pascal Papé (Stade Français), Sébastien Vahaamahina (Clermont); Thierry Dusautoir (Toulouse), Bernard Le Roux (Racing-Métro), Yannick Nyanga (Toulouse), Fulgence Ouedraogo (Montpellier); Damien Chouly (Clermont), Loann Goujon (La Rochelle), Louis Picamoles (Toulouse)

Backs (16)

Rory Kockott (Castres), Morgan Parra (Clermont), Sébastien Tillous-Borde (Toulon); Frédéric Michalak (Toulon), Rémi Tales (Castres), François Trinh-Duc (Montpellier); Mathieu Bastareaud (Toulon), Alexandre Dumoulin (Racing-Métro), Gaël Fickou (Toulouse), Wesley Fofana (Clermont), Rémi Lamerat (Castres); Brice Dulin (Racing-Métro), Sofiane Guitoune (Bordeaux-Bègles), Yoann Huget (Toulouse), Noa Nakaitaci (Clermont), Scott Spedding (Bayonne)
Source: AFP