French Rugby have today released a statement revealing that nine of their squad have been dropped for their upcoming match against Italy on the 23rd of February.
The decision has been made to omit the players who went out in Edinburgh in the wake of their defeat to Scotland last Sunday.
The decision means that France coach Jacques Brunel will be taking on the Azzurri without star winger Teddy Thomas, flankers Louis Picamoles and Alexandre Lapandry, fly-half Anthony Belleau, centres Remi Lamerat & Jonathan Danty, locks Arthur Iturria and Félix Lambey, and winger Sekou Macalou.
A statement confirmed that Brunel decided to exclude “the players who went out after the defeat in Scotland” because "through this inappropriate behaviour, they did not respect their status as international players”.
From the statement it reads like the players are being omitted for the act of going out, rather than anything untoward happening during their escapades, which is peculiar given that rugby players aren't marshalled as strictly as say footballers when it comes to socialising the night of a game.
Police Scotland had questioned five members of the squad who had gone out at Edinburgh Airport as potential witnesses to a sexual assault on the night in question, but later confirmed no crime had been committed so it would appear that detail had no bearing on Brunel's actions.
France face Italy in Marseille at 8pm on Friday 23 February.
? Voici le groupe des 31 joueurs retenus par le sélectionneur Jacques Brunel et son staff pour défier l'Italie vendredi 23 février à l'@orangevelodrome #FRAITA #soutiensleXV pic.twitter.com/rcpHaK4gfC
— FF Rugby (@FFRugby) February 13, 2018
Here is the French squad named to face Italy:
Mathieu Babbilot (Castres Olympique)
Mathieu Bastareaud (RC Toulon)
Lionel Beauxis (Lyon OU)
Eddy Ben Arous (Racing 92)
Hugo Bonneval (RC Toulon)
Yacouba Camara (Montpellier HR)
Camille Chat (Racing 92)
Henry Chavancy (Racing 92)
Baptiste Couilloud (Lyon OU)
Geoffrey Doumayrou (Stade Rochelais)
Benjamin Fall (Montpellier HR)
Gaël Fickou (Stade Toulousain)
Paul Gabrillagues (Stade Français Paris)
Kelian Galletier (Montpellier HR)
Cedate Gomes Sa (Racing 92)
Rémy Grosso (AS Clermont Auvergne)
Guilhem Guirado (captain) (RC Toulon)
Wenceslas Lauret (Racing 92)
Bernard le Roux (Racing 92)
Maxime Machenaud (Racing 92)
Geoffrey Palis (Castres Olympique)
Adrien Pelissie (Union Bordeaux-Bègles)
Jefferson Poirot (Union Bordeaux-Bègles)
Dany Priso (Stade Rochelais)
Baptiste Serin (Union Bordeaux-Bègles)
Rabah Slimani (ASM Clermont Auvergne)
Romain Taofifenua (RC Toulon)
Marco Tauleigne (Union Bordeaux-Bègles)
François Trinh Duc (RC Toulon)
Sébastien Vahaamahina (ASM Clermont Auvergne)
Virimi Vakatawa (Racing 92)
