South African-born flanker Antonie Claassen on Monday was called up by coach Philippe Saint-Andre for the 23-strong French squad to prepare for the Six Nations match against England at Twickenham on February 23.
Claassen, 28, was one of five changes to the squad that went down 16-6 to Wales at the Stade de France on Saturday leaving France winless after two games and bottom of the Six Nations standings.
Sport24
Others to be called up were prop Thomas Domingo, lock Christophe Samson, flanker Yannick Nyanga and winger Vincent Clerc.
Left out were Yannick Forestier, Romain Taofifenua, Fulgence Ouedraogo, Damien Chouly and Maxime Mermoz.
Claassen, the son of former Springbok player Wynand Claassen, is the ninth foreign-born player to be included in a French international line-up, the last being another South African centre, Brian Liebenberg, in 2003. He currently plays for French club Castres.
The 31-year-old Clerc is back for his 65th cap after missing the defeats to Italy and Wales due to a hamstring injury. He is currently France’s second-highest try scorer with 34, four behind full-back Serge Blanco.
Domingo and Nyanga are also seasoned France internationals, while Castres lock Samson won his only cap to date as a replacement against Argentina last June.
The two losses to Italy and Wales is the worst start to a Five/Six Nations tournament for the French since 1982 and they will be facing an England team full of confidence after wins over Scotland and Ireland.
The France squad for the Six Nations match against England at Twickenham on 23 February:
Fowards: Vincent Debaty (Clermont), Thomas Domingo (Clermont), Benjamin Kayser (Clermont), Dimitri Szarzewski (Racing-Mtro), Luc Ducalcon (Racing-Mtro), Nicolas Mas (Perpignan), Yoann Maestri (Toulouse), Christophe Samson (Castres), Jocelino Suta (Toulon), Antonie Claassen (Castres), Thierry Dusautoir (Toulouse, capt), Yannick Nyanga (Toulouse), Louis Picamoles (Toulouse)
Backs: Maxxime Machenaud (Racing-Mtro), Morgan Parra (Clermont), Frdric Michalak (Toulon), Franois Trinh-Duc (Montpellier), Mathieu Bastareaud (Toulon), Vincent Clerc (Toulouse) Benjamin Fall (Racing-Mtro), Wesley Fofana (Clermont), Florian Fritz (Toulouse), Yoann Huget (Toulouse)
Well it’s hard for an ole turk to accept these things but it seems like nationalism and patriotism in sport is dying like it has done in so many other fields. For a while in the modern era, sport has been the peaceful replacement for war but now with globalism this bastion is finally crumbling. They just need to stop singing the anthems before every test to cease making a mockery of it.
@ The_Young_Turk:
Agree, no point in complaining everybody sort of accept it now. Pro Sport beats any Nationalism.
Wynand Claassen by Doc Craven
Wynand and Tommy Bedford – almost birds of a feather. I’ve known Wynand for a long time. In fact I’ve known his father George, a one-time winner of the Comrades Marathon, for even longer. George is a wonderful man, a dedicated schoolmaster.
Wynand wasn’t brilliant in the accepted sense of the word – he was a player who went almost unnoticed. You had to watch him carefully to appreciate the work he got through.
He had a difficult task in New Zealand in 1981 and Wynand later wrote a book in which he was very outspoken. Let people say what they like, that book cost him a place on the selection committee. But he has accepted it with a smile.
He’s doing a wonderful job building up rugby at the University of Natal and I believe we’ll still hear a lot more of Wynand in the future. He still has a big role to play in our rugby.
Wynand Claasen
Test summary: Tests: 7 Tries: 0
First Test: 30 May 1981 Age:30 Eighthman against Ireland at Newlands, Cape Town
Last Test: 3 Apr 1982 Age:31 Eighthman against South America at Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
Captain in all 7
Another loss to SA Rugby.
Make your future your own.
Even the FFR must be more professional to work for than the snakes at SARU.
Or maybe SA is such a loose forward factory, that to make it as an international, you have move elsewhere? Or maybe he decided from an early age that he was going to earn Euros, and make as much money as he can out of a very short sporting career?
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