Fresh from his four tries at the 2019 Guinness Six Nations and a man-of-the-match display for Toulouse in the Top 14 final, Yoann Huget leads up Jacques Brunel’s list of French starters for this summer’s Rugby World Cup.
The 32-year-old, who finished second behind England’s Jonny May in the try-scoring charts at this year’s Championship and has seven Guinness Six Nations scores to his name overall, will star at his second World Cup in a squad replete with talent.
Skippered by wily veteran Guilhem Guirado, the 37-strong group – split into 31 ‘starters’ and six ‘alternates’ – features several of France’s brightest and best upcoming stars.
The likes of Demba Bamba, Antoine Dupont, Romain Ntamack, Thomas Ramos and Damian Penaud all starred in this year’s Guinness Six Nations, and will be raring to take another step on the international ladder when the quadrennial tournament gets underway in Japan in September.
Explosive centre Mathieu Bastareaud misses out on the squad for what will be Brunel’s final tournament as France coach, with his successor Fabien Galthie set to assist the 65-year-old in the Far East.
France, who last won the Guinness Six Nations back in 2010, but have yet to lift the Webb Ellis Cup, get their bid started against Argentina on 21 September and face the USA and Tonga before they conclude their Pool C fixtures with a clash against familiar foes England on October 12.
FRANCE GROUP
ALLDRITT Grégory (Rochelais Stadium)
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 (French Stade Paris)
GUIRADO Guilhem (RC Toulon)
GUITOUNE Sofiane (Toulouse Stadium)
HUGET Yoann (Toulouse Stadium)
ITURRIA Arthur (ASM Clermont Auvergne)
LAMBEY Félix (Lyon Olympic University)
LAURET Wenceslas (Racing 92)
LE ROUX Bernard (Racing 92)
LOPEZ Camille (ASM Clermont Auvergne)
MACHENAUD Maxime (Racing 92)
MAUVAKA Peato (Toulousain Stadium)
MEDARD Maxime (Toulouse Stadium)
NTAMACK Romain (Toulouse Stadium)
PENAUD Damian (ASM Clermont Auvergne)
PICAMOLES Louis (Montpellier Hérault Rugby)
POIROT Jefferson (Bordeaux Union-Bègles)
PRISO Dany (Stade Rochelais)
RAKA Alivereti (ASM Clermont Auvergne)
RAMOS Thomas (Toulousain Stadium)
SERIN Baptiste (Bordeaux-Bègles Union)
SETIANO Emerick (RC Toulon)
SLIMANI Rabah (ASM Clermont Auvergne)
VAHAAMAHINA Sébastien (ASM Clermont Auvergne)
ALTERNATE
BELLEAU Anthony (Toulon RC)
CROS François (Toulousain Stadium)
FALGOUX Etienne (ASM Clermont Auvergne)
OLLIVON Charles (RC Toulon)
RATTEZ Vincent (Rochelle Stadium)
WILLEMSE Paul (Montpellier Hérault Rugby)
