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Mathieu Bastareaud has been included in the France Six Nations squad a matter of hours before getting a 3 week ban over an alleged homophobic slur.
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Bastareaud was banned for three weeks after appearing to call Benetton Treviso lock Sebastian Negri a “f*****g f*****t” during Toulon’s European Champions Cup win on Sunday.
The centre, recalled by Les Bleus to face New Zealand last November following a two-year absence, was included in a list of 32 named by Jacques Brunel on Wednesday.
Montpellier back Benjamin Fall also gets the nod, five years after earning the last of his six caps against England at Twickenham, and scrum-half Morgan Parra comes back into the fold.
Brunel has included six uncapped players, teenage fly-half Matthieu Jalibert, back-row Marco Tauleigne and full-back Geoffrey Palis getting the call from the recently appointed head coach.
Second row Felix Lambey has also been selected, along with props Dany Priso and Cedate Gomes Sa.
Yacouba Camara, Arthur Iturria, Remi Lamerat and Virimi Vakatawa come back into the squad after missing the November Tests.
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France start the tournament with a clash against Ireland at Stade de France on February 3.
France Six Nations squad:
Forwards: Eddy Ben Arous, Yacouba Camara, Camille Chat, Paul Gabrillagues, Cedate Gomes Sa, Kevin Gourdon, Guilhem Guirado, Arthur Iturria, Anthony Jelonch, Felix Lambey, Wenceslas Lauret, Sekou Macalou, Jefferson Poirot, Dany Priso, Rabah Slimani, Marco Tauleigne, Christopher Tolofua, Sebastien Vahaamahina,
Backs: Mathieu Bastareaud, Anthony Belleau, Henry Chavancy, Geoffrey Doumayrou, Brice Dulin, Antoine Dupont, Benjamin Fall, Matthieu Jalibert, Remi Lamerat, Maxime Machenaud, Geoffrey Palis, Morgan Parra, Teddy Thomas, Virimi Vakatawa.
