Elissalde’s shock omission leaves France short on experience

FRANCE go into their opening RBS Six Nations match against Ireland on Saturday week with little experience at half-back after Jean-Baptiste Elissalde was surprisingly omitted from their trimmed-down 23-man squad.

Elissalde was not only expected to be Les Bleus’ starting scrum-half at Croke Park but also the back-up to out-half Lionel Beauxis. But the Toulouse number nine failed to make the cut as head coach Marc Lievremont yesterday trimmed his squad from the 30 he named last week for a training camp held over the past three days at France’s base in Marcoussis.

Bourgoin’s Morgan Parra and Castres’ Sebastien Tillous-Borde, who have only a handful of caps between them, have been preferred at scrum-half.