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Rugby Union

France drop Chabal for new caps

22/01/2008

New France coach Marc Lievremont has courted controversy with his very first Six Nations squad after omitting fans' favourite Sebastien Chabal.

The influential and versatile Sale Sharks forward makes way as Lievremont, who took over from retiring Bernard Laporte last year, names six new caps in his 22-man squad for the opening fixture against Scotland at Murrayfield.

Chabal's Sharks club-mate Lionel Faure and fellow prop Julien Brugnault of Dax earn maiden call-ups in what could be a completely new front row because of injuries to Sylvain Marconnet, Pieter de Villiers and Olivier Milloud.

Albi second-row forward Arnaud Mela is also called up for the first time.

In the backs, three home-based debutants - Bourgoin scrum-half Morgan Parra, Montpellier fly-half Francois Trinh-Duc and Clermont centre Julien Malzieu - are included.

Lionel Nallet has been installed as captain in the wake of former skipper Raphael Ibanez's retirement.

In addition to Ibanez, three other members of the World Cup squad have retired - Fabien Pelous, Christophe Dominici and Serge Betsen - while Jerome Thion, Clement Poitrenaud, Pierre Mignoni and David Marty are all dropped.

France will open their defence of the Six Nations title on February 3rd and are chasing a third successive victory in the competition.

The French won last season's tournament on points difference from Ireland and England after a three-way tie - following their grand slam in 2006.

Full France squad to face Scotland:

Backs:
Jean-Baptiste Elissalde, Morgan Parra, Francois Trin-Dhuc, David Skrela, Florian Fritz, Damien Traille, Vincent Clerc, Julien Malzieu, Cedric Heymans, Aurelien Rougerie.

Forwards:
Julien Brugnaut, Lionel Faure, Jean-Baptiste Poux, William Servat, Dimitri Szarzewski, Loic Jacquet, Lionel Nallet (captain), Arnaud Mela, Julien Bonnaire, Thierry Dusautoir, Fulgence Ouedraogo, Elvis Vermeulen.