France pick Mathieu Bastareaud for Six Nations opener against Scotland

02-03-2010

Mathieu Bastareaud, the centre who was dropped after making false claims he had been assaulted in New Zealand last year, has been recalled to France’s starting line-up to face Scotland on Sunday.

Marc Lievremont, the France coach, said that Bastareaud, 21, had been given a second chance because of strong displays for his club side Stade Francais. He also hopes Bastareaud has matured as a result of the events in Wellington last year. "Mathieu called himself into question. We hope that what happened a few months ago helped him to grow up,” he said. "We just hope he will confirm his good performances with his club on Sunday."

French Prime Minister Francois Fillon was moved to send a written apology to his New Zealand counterpart, John Key, after Bastareaud claimed the injuries he suffered as a result of a drunken fall in his hotel room when on international duty in June last year were the result of a violent attack. Bastareaud was given a three-month suspended ban and was ordered to do community service with amateur rugby.

Lievremont has made a total of nine changes to the starting line-up that defeated world champions South Africa on November 13 last year. Other players earning recalls are fullback Clement Poitrenaud, wing Aurelien Rougerie and flanker Fulgence Ouedraogo, who all missed the November tests through injury or lack of form.
Lievremont has also handed a first Six Nations start to wing Benjamin Fall for Sunday's match at Murrayfield after the 20-year-old impressed on his debut against Samoa last November.

"We wanted to see him again and we think that the experience of Poitrenaud, Rougerie and (centre) Yannick Jauzion will help him to play at his best," Lievremont said.

Five of the changes have been forced by the suspension of scrumhalf Julien Dupuy and injuries suffered by fullback Damien Traille, centre Maxime Mermoz, lock Romain Millo-Chluski and prop Fabien Barcella.

Centre Yann David, wings Cedric Heymans and Vincent Clerc and No 8 Louis Picamoles have been dropped because of lack of form.

The France team to play Scotland: C Poitrenaud (Toulouse); B Fall (Bayonne), M Bastareaud (Stade Français), Y Jauzion (Toulouse), A Rougerie (Clermont); F Trinh-Duc (Montpellier), M Parra (Clermont); T Domingo (Clermont), W Servat (Toulouse), N Mas (Perpignan), L Nallet (Racing Metro), P Pape (Stade Français), T Dusautoir (Toulouse), F Ouedraogo (Montpellier), I Harinordoquy (Biarritz).

Replacements: D Szarzewski (Stade Français), L Ducalcon (Castres), J Pierre (Clermont), J Bonnaire (Clermont), J Élissalde (Toulouse), D Marty (Perpignan), V Clerc (Toulouse), S Marconnet (Stade Français).

Hello. And Bye.