SIX NATIONS:FRENCH COACH Marc Lievremont has announced four changes in personnel in a 23-man squad for Sunday week's Six Nations game against England at Twickenham. Toulouse centre Florian Fritz returns from serving a three-week suspension imposed for a punching incident in France's opening defeat against Ireland.
Ostensibly he replaces Clermont’s Benoit Baby, who is ruled out after suffering a knee injury in the win over Wales. Biarritz’s Damien Traille returns to the squad for the first time since coming on as a replacement in his country’s 18-13 defeat to Australia in November. Traille can play fullback, centre or outhalf and so provides the coach with options.
To accommodate Traille’s inclusion, Toulouse fullback Clement Poitrenaud drops out. Francois Trinh-Duc is the only specialist outhalf named, with Lionel Beauxis (back) and Baby out injured, while David Skrela is still out of favour.
Up front, Montpellier duo Fulgence Ouedraogo and Louis Picamoles are omitted as Lievremont goes for the ballast of Biarritz secondrow Jerome Thion and the ball-playing skills of Clermont backrow Julien Bonnaire.
Thion, who has not played for France since the final match of last year’s Six Nations against Wales, will compete for a secondrow place alongside Toulouse’s Romain Millo-Chluski in the hope of partnering captain Lionel Nallet. This facilitates the reinstatement of Sebastien Chabal to his more favoured position in the backrow. Bonnaire, who like Thion has not been involved with the side for almost a year, was named in France’s pre-Six Nations training squad but didn’t make the grade for the first three matches.
Meanwhile, Italy will be boosted by the return of Andrea Masi when they begin preparations for their two final Six Nations games, against Wales and France in Rome. Masi missed last weekend’s 26-6 defeat in Scotland but has been included in Nick Mallett’s 30-man group after serving a three-week ban.
Mallett has added seven players from the Italy A squad that drew 22-22 in Scotland. They are Kristopher Burton, Simone Favaro, Jean-Francois Montauriol, Tommaso Reato, Fabio Staibano, Roberto Quartaroli and Michele Sepe.
FRANCE SQUAD:J Malzieu, D Traille, M Medard, C Heymans, M Bastareaud, F Fritz, Y Jauzion, F Trinh-Duc, M Parra, S Tillous-Borde, S Chabal, J Bonnaire, T Dusautoir, I Harinordoquy, R Millo-Chluski, L Nallet (capt), J Thion, B Kayser, D Szarzewski, S Marconnet, T Domingo, F Barcella, L Faure.
ITALY SQUAD: Forwards: Mauro Bergamasco, M Bortolami, M Castrogiovanni, C Antonio Del Fava, S Dellape, S Favaro, L Ghiraldini, J-F Montauriol, C Nieto, S Parisse, S Perugini, T Reato, F Sbaraglini, J Sole, F Staibano, A Zanni. Backs: A Bacchetti, M Bergamasco, K Burton, G Canale, P Canavosio, P Griffen, A Marcato, A Masi, L McLean, G Pavan, M Pratichetti, R Quartaroli, G Rubini, M Sepe.
