France names squad for Six Nations 2015

Philippe Saint-André has named the 31-man France squad that will compete at this year’s Six Nations, finding space for Clermont’s Fijian-born winger Noa Nakaitaci. Thierry Dusautoir remains as captain of a squad that is kept largely intact from those who had a mixed November campaign.

Nakaitaci has been part of a French squad before, on the tour to New Zealand in 2013, but has yet to make his debut after only featuring in a tour game against the Blues. There are recalls to the set-up for props Eddy Ben Arous and Rabah Slimani, and after a long injury-enforced absence, number eight Louis Picamoles.

Of the biggest names to miss out, two come at scrum-half where Morgan Parra and Maxime Machenaud are both shunned in favour of Seb Tillous-Borde and Rory Kockott. Further out in the backs, Maximes Mermoz and Médard are also conspicuous by their absence.

France will be hoping to improve on a poor 2014 Six Nations which saw them finish fourth, despite winning three of their five games. They had a similarly up and down autumn series, beating Fiji and Australia comfortably before undoing all their good work with a loss to Argentina.

France Six Nations squad:

Forwards: Eddy Ben Arous (Racing-Métro), Alexandre Menini (Toulon), Benjamin Kayser (Clermont), Guilhem Guirado (Toulon), Nicolas Mas (Montpellier), Uini Atonio (La Rochelle), Rabah Slimani (Stade Français), Alexandre Flanquart (Stade Français), Yoann Maestri (Toulouse), Pascal Papé (Stade Français), Romain Taofifenua (Toulon), Damien Chouly (Clermont), Thierry Dusautoir (Toulouse), Bernard Le Roux (Racing-Métro), Yannick Nyanga (Toulouse), Charles Ollivon (Bayonne), Louis Picamoles (Toulouse).

Backs: Rory Kockott (Castres), Sébastien Tillous-Borde (Toulon), Rémi Tales (Castres), Camille Lopez (Clermont), Mathieu Bastareaud (Toulon), Wesley Fofana (Clermont), Rémi Lamerat (Castres), Alexandre Dumoulin (Racing-Métro), Teddy Thomas (Racing-Métro), Sofiane Guitoune (Bordeaux-Bègles), Yoann Huget (Toulouse), Noa Nakaitaci (Clermont), Brice Dulin (Racing-Métro), Scott Spedding (Bayonne).