France suffers double injury blow - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

France suffers double injury blow

24/02/2009 07:20:34 AM Comments (0)

France suffered a double injury blow just days ahead of their Six Nations match with Grand Slam holders Wales on Monday when first choice fly-half Lionel Beauxis and centre Maxime Mermoz were ruled out because of injury.

Montpellier fly-half Franois Trinh-Duc and the untested 20-year-old Stade Francais centre Mathieu Bastareaud have been called up to replace them.

Trinh-Duc's recall comes as a surprise as the 22-year-old - capped seven times with the last one coming last summer against Australia - was judged to be out of form at the start of the tournament.

Bastereaud has yet to be capped, though, the former Under-19 and Under-20 international was called up for the tour of New Zealand in 2007 only to withdraw because of injury.

Beauxis, who was the architect of France's win over Scotland earlier this month, has a pelvic injury he suffered in the Top 14 win over Toulon last Friday while Mermoz has a right leg problem.

France coach Marc Lievremont is under great pressure for his side to produce a good result after losing the opener to Ireland and then generally receiving lukewarm reviews for their win over Scotland.

Revised French squad:

Backs (10): Sebastien Tillous-Borde (Castres), Morgan Parra (Bourgoin), Francois Trinh-Duc (Montpellier), Benoit Baby (Clermont), Yannick Jauzion (Toulouse), Mathieu Bastareaud (Stade Francais), Julien Malzieu (Clermont), Cedric Heymans (Toulouse), Maxime Medard (Toulouse), Clement Poitrenaud (Toulouse)

Forwards (13): Lionel Faure (Sale/ENG), Fabien Barcella (Biarritz), Dimitri Szarzewski (Stade Francais), Benjamin Kayser (Leicester/ENG), Sylvain Marconnet (Stade Francais), Thomas Domingo (Clermont), Lionel Nallet (Castres, capt.), Sebastien Chabal (Sale/ENG), Romain Millo-Chluski (Toulouse), Thierry Dusautoir (Toulouse), Imanol Harinordoquy (Biarritz), Fulgence Ouedraogo (Montpellier), Louis Picamoles (Montpellier)

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