France's selection headache

Left out in the cold? Sébastien Chabal's international future is a hotly debated topic in France

On Monday France coach Marc Lièvremont will announce his squad for the two-Test series in Australia on June 28 and July 5. The Frenchman faces a tough task in making his choices since he will have to do without a number of key players who will be involved in the Top 14 play-offs.

Les Bleus' 26-man group will hence travel Down Under sans top players from Toulouse, Clermont, Stade Français and probably Perpignan, essentially depriving France of the core of it's first choice squad.

Lièvremont is more than well aware that without so many key players, the tour to the Southern Hemisphere giants is essentially a hiding to nothing but is showing a brave face and is committed to making the best out of a less-than-ideal situation.

"We are not going to start whingeing about decisions that were taken years ago," Lièvremont, who is yet to finalise his list of selections, told L'Equipe.

The Basque coach and his assistants are faced with the task of finding 26 hard men who still have enough juice left to endure an overseas tour that comes at the end of the season that has lasted twelve months and will be overshadowed by the domestic season's climax.

"26 men will be condemned to hard labour for a few more weeks," he conceded.

The selection of one player has already been confirmed. 32-year-old Castres lock Lionel Nallet will continue in his role as French captain on a tour that will be used to blood even more young players.

"[Nallet] is still very motivated to resume his responsibilities as captain," Lièvremont confirmed.

"[The group will include] fifteen forwards and eleven backs. And circumstances oblige new players."

As to who will make the side, the former Dax coach was remaining tight-lipped.

"We'll see on Monday," he said not being willing to be drawn into whether players such as Brive full-back Alexis Palisson or his younger brother Matthieu Lièvremont will make the cut.

The French media have used up litres of ink surrounding the future of fan-favourite Sébastien Chabal. The Sale Sharks loose forward was not called up during the Six Nations, and at 31, many feel his international career might be over. Lièvremont was his usual ambiguous self regarding Chabal's possible selection.

"He's a player with a lot of potential. But during the Six Nations other players with a lot of potential, but less publicised than him, weren't used," he said.

"Sébastien interests me, of course. Even if he prefers at play at number eight, he is capable of moving into the second row. It could be interesting to have a such a versatile player."

"There's also Imanol Harinordoquy," he added, as if to justify his future choice.

Until Monday we must wait then, but one thing is almost certain - as always is with Lièvremont - there will be no lack of surprises.