Rugby World Cup
Marconnet and Domingo miss out on World Cup squad
ESPNscrum Staff
August 21, 2011
France coach Marc Lievremont faces the press, Dublin, Ireland, August 19, 2011
Lievremont's side completed their World Cup preparations with a 26-22 vicotry over Ireland in Dublin on Saturday © Getty Images
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Props Sylvain Marconnet and Thomas Domingo were the major casualties as France coach Marc Lievremont confirmed his 30-man squad for next month's Rugby World Cup on Sunday.

Lievremont, whose side completed their World Cup preparations with a 26-22 victory over Ireland in Dublin on Saturday, chose to include prop Fabian Barcella despite concerns over his fitness. Barcella ruptured his Achilles tendon in August last year and only made his international return as a replacement at the Aviva Stadium.

Domingo has been struggling with a knee ligament injury suffered earlier this year with Guilhem Guirado, only drafted into the squad as cover for injured hooker William Servat, keeps his place alongside with Servat. Toulouse flanker Thierry Dusautoir will continue to captain the team.

Lievremont admitted it had been a tough call to drop Domingo and especially 84-Test cap veteran Marconnet, who also missed the 2007 World Cup through injury. "I said from the start that for me our two best loose-head props are Barcella and Domingo and that I wanted to have one of them in the squad and that is the case for Fabien," he said.

Winger Yoann Huget was dropped from the initial 33-man preliminary squad earlier this month for breaching anti-doping regulations. Centre Maxime Mermoz suffered a knee problem in the warm-up victory over Ireland in Bordeaux on August 13 but is expected to be fit for the start of the World Cup.

The squad will leave for New Zealand on August 29 and will open their campaign against Japan in North Harbour on September 10 before taking on Canada, New Zealand and Tonga in the pool stages.

France squad:

Forwards: Fabien Barcella, Julien Bonnaire, Luc Ducalcon, Thierry Dusautoir (captain), Imanol Harinordoquy, Guilhem Guirado, Nicolas Mas, Romain Millo-Chluski, Raphael Lakafia, Lionel Nallet, Fulgence Ouedraogo, Pascal Pape, Louis Picamoles, Julien Pierre, Jean-Baptiste Poux, William Servat, Dimitri Szarzewski.

Backs: Vincent Clerc, Patrice Estebanez, Cedric Heymans, David Marty, Maxime Medard, Maxime Mermoz, Alexis Palisson, Morgan Parra, Aurelien Rougerie, David Skrela, Damien Traille, Francois Trinh-Duc, Dimitri Yachvili.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

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