France call up Bonnaire for Burban

Tuesday, November 03, 2009 » 10:44am


LIVE News: Watch now
 
 
Share|
 
 

Stade Francais back-row forward Antoine Burban has been forced out of France's Test match against South Africa on November 13 with a hand injury, the French coaching staff announced on Monday.

Clermont's Julien Bonnaire has been called up as a replacement.

Burban, 22, hurt his thumb on Saturday during Stade's Top 14 draw at Clermont. He had been in line to win his first French cap.

Bonnaire, 31, has already been capped 41 times by his country, with his last appearance coming in the 50-8 victory over Italy in the Six Nations on March 21 this year, though, he was omitted from the squad last week ostensibly because like team-mate Aurelien Rougerie he had opted out of France's southern hemisphere tour earlier this year.

Burban is the second player to have pulled out of Marc Lievremont's 30-man squad through injury following the withdrawal of Castres prop Luc Ducalcon, who was replaced by Perpignan hooker Guilhem Guirado on Sunday.

After taking on the Springboks in Toulouse, France face Samoa in Paris on November 21 before confronting New Zealand in Marseille on November 28.

France Squad: Forwards: Fabien Barcella (Biarritz), Thomas Domingo (Clermont), Dimitri Szarzewski (Stade Francais), William Servat (Toulouse), Guilhem Guirado (Perpignan), Sylvain Marconnet (Stade Francais), Nicolas Mas (Perpignan), Lionel Nallet (Racing-Metro), Romain Millo-Chluski (Toulouse), Sebastien Chabal (Racing-Metro), Pascal Pape (Stade Francais), Imanol Harinordoquy (Biarritz), Louis Picamoles (Toulouse), Fulgence Ouedraogo (Montpellier), Thierry Dusautoir (Toulouse, capt), Julien Bonnaire (Clermont), Alexandre Lapandry (Clermont)

Backs: Julien Dupuy (Stade Francais), Morgan Parra (Clermont), Frederic Michalak (Toulouse), Francois Trinh-Duc (Montpellier), Yannick Jauzion (Toulouse), Maxime Mermoz (Perpignan), Yann David (Toulouse), David Marty (Perpignan), Cedric Heymans (Toulouse), Benjamin Fall (Bayonne), Vincent Clerc (Toulouse), Maxime Medard (Toulouse), Damien Traille (Biarritz)