Bastareaud facing lengthy France ban

FRANCE centre Mathieu Bastareaud can expect a lengthy ban from representing France after he caused uproar with lies that he’d been mugged while touring with the national team in New Zealand earlier this year.

Francois Alguacil, president of the Federation Francaise de Rugby (FFR) disciplinary committee said that the Stade Francais centre could face a considerable time out of the international game.

“I think he will be banned from the squad for between one and three years,” said Alguacil. “This was offensive to the French team, but also to the governments of New Zealand and France.”

Bastareaud, 21, falsely claimed that he had been mugged after returning to his Wellington hotel following France’s second Test loss to the All Blacks.

The incident prompted a high profile police investigation and a public apology from New Zealand Prime Minister John Key. But the player’s allegations were exposed as completely false when CCTV footage showed him entering the hotel uninjured.

Bastareaud subsequently retracted the claim and it eventually forced an apology from the French Prime Minister to his New Zealand counterpart.

The Stade Francais centre was so distraught that he spent time at a psychiatric unit.

Basteraued returned to training with Stade last week and will learn his fate when the FFR produces the findings of its investigation next month. He will be eligible to continue playing club rugby should he be banned from the national squad.

Andy Robinson yesterday named eight uncapped players in his first Scotland squad since being appointed head coach.

The former England boss will run the rule over a 44-man party at a three-day training camp at St Andrews later this month.

Robinson took seven of the eight rookies with him as part of Scotland A’s victorious IRB Nations Cup squad in Bucharest in June, shortly after his appointment.

They were Edinburgh quartet John Houston, Alan MacDonald, Jim Thompson and Kyle Traynor, Glasgow duo Ruaridh Jackson and Richie Vernon, and Worcester centre Alex Grove.

The final uncapped call-up went to 19-year-old Glasgow lock Richie Gray, who played in all 10 of Scotland Under-20s’ international matches last season.

The squad also includes the four Scots who toured South Africa with the British and Irish Lions this summer: Mike Blair, Ross Ford, Nathan Hines and Euan Murray.

The one notable absentee is Stade Francais forward Simon Taylor, who celebrates his 30th birthday on the first day of the camp.

Robinson said of the player, who has 60 caps: “I have spoken at length with Simon and he has requested not to be involved with Scotland at this stage.

“I am agreeing to his request but the door remains open for Simon to be involved with Scotland later.”