Vice-captain Bastareaud dropped from France World Cup squad
Mathieu Bastareaud has been dropped from the France squad for the World Cup.
The Toulon centre was vice-captain for France's Six Nations campaign this spring, but a reshuffle has seen him omitted from the 37-man training squad.
Toulouse centre Sofiane Guitoune, who made his last of five caps at the 2015 World Cup, is the big winner, as he returns to Jacques Brunel's squad.
Clermont scrum-half Morgan Parra, Racing winger Teddy Thomas, and La Rochelle prop Uini Atonio join Bastareaud in missing out on selection.
Parra, who has scored 370 points in 71 caps, has been struggling with an ankle injury and is left out in favour of Antoine Dupont, Baptiste Serin, and Maxime Machenaud, who hasn't played for France since March 2018.
Clermont's Camille Lopez and Toulouse's Romain Ntamack are the fly-half options, with Toulon's Anthony Belleau named among the six reserves.
Three uncapped players are included: front-rowers Peato Mauvaka and Emerick Setiano, and winger Alivereti Raka. Flanker Francois Cros is picked as a reserve.
“We did not know if he would produce the (form). He did it all year long.
“The group is rejuvenated with many players who are 25 years and under, but there are still players with experience with (Yoann) Huget, (Wesley) Fofana and (Maxime) Medard.”
France face a battle with England and Argentina to progress from Pool C at the World Cup.
🇫🇷 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
— France Rugby (@FranceRugby) June 18, 2019
ALLDRITT Grégory (Stade Rochelais)
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 (Stade Français Paris)
GUIRADO Guilhem (RC Toulon)
GUITOUNE Sofiane (Stade Toulousain)
HUGET Yoann (Stade Toulousain)
ITURRIA Arthur (ASM Clermont Auvergne)
LAMBEY Félix (Lyon Olympique Universitaire)
LAURET Wenceslas (Racing 92)
LE ROUX Bernard (Racing 92)
LOPEZ Camille (ASM Clermont Auvergne)
MACHENAUD Maxime (Racing 92)
MAUVAKA Peato (Stade Toulousain)
MEDARD Maxime (Stade Toulousain)
NTAMACK Romain (Stade Toulousain)
PENAUD Damian (ASM Clermont Auvergne)
PICAMOLES Louis (Montpellier Hérault Rugby)
POIROT Jefferson (Union Bordeaux-Bègles)
PRISO Dany (Stade Rochelais)
RAKA Alivereti (ASM Clermont Auvergne)
RAMOS Thomas (Stade Toulousain)
SERIN Baptiste (Union Bordeaux-Bègles)
SETIANO Emerick (RC Toulon)
SLIMANI Rabah (ASM Clermont Auvergne)
VAHAAMAHINA Sébastien (ASM Clermont Auvergne)
BELLEAU Anthony (RC Toulon)
CROS François (Stade Toulousain)
FALGOUX Etienne (ASM Clermont Auvergne)
OLLIVON Charles (RC Toulon)
RATTEZ Vincent (Stade Rochelais)
WILLEMSE Paul (Montpellier Hérault Rugby)
