French duo dropped from World Cup squad
SQUAD UPDATE: France head coach Jacques Brunel dropped lock Felix Lambey and prop Dany Priso from his final Rugby World Cup squad on Tuesday.
Brunel had originally named the Lyon lock and the La Rochelle front-row forward in his 31-man group to prepare for the tournament during the off-season but replaced them with Toulouse’s Cyril Baille and Toulon’s Charles Ollivon.
The 65-year-old had omitted the experienced pair of Morgan Parra and Mathieu Bastareaud in June.
Instead he handed debuts to Fiji-born Alivereti Raka, Peato Mauvaka and Emerick Setiano during warm-up fixtures against Scotland and Italy.
Les Bleus start their campaign against Argentina before facing the US, Tonga and England in their pool.
France’s 31-man squad for the Rugby World Cup in Japan:
Backs (13): Antoine Dupont, Gael Fickou, Wesley Fofana, Sofiane Guitoune, Yoann Huget, Camille Lopez, Maxime Machenaud, Maxime Medard, Romain Ntamack, Damian Penaud, Alivereti Raka, Thomas Ramos, Baptiste Serin, Virimi Vakatawa.
Forwards (18): Gregory Alldritt, Cyrill Baille, Demba Bamba, Yacouba Camara, Camille Chat, Paul Gabrillagues, Guilhem Guirado (captain), Arthur Iturria, Wenceslas Lauret, Charles Ollivon, Bernard Le Roux, Peato Mauvaka, Jefferson Poirot, Louis Picamoles, Emerick Setiano, Rabah Slimani, Sebastien Vahaamahina.
