No Monsiuer Smith For France

 France have been forced to pull David Smith, a late call-up, out of their plans for Friday’s Six Nations match with Wales after discovering he did not qualify to play for Les Bleus.

The embarrassment for the French Rugby Federation emerged only hours after the Samoa-born wing was brought in to cover injuries in the squad.

After Marvin O’Connor and Teddy Thomas were ruled out by problems sustained on club duty over the weekend, the head coach, Guy Novès, summoned the wings Djibril Camara and Smith.

But Castres’ Smith informed French officials he had played for New Zealand at the 2008 Edinburgh Sevens, scuppering his prospect of a debut in Cardiff.

In a statement on its website, the FFR said it had a document dating from August 2014 which indicated the 29-year-old Smith “appeared eligible” for France.

“On his arrival, David revealed to us he played in 2008 at Edinburgh in the international Sevens tournament for New Zealand,” the FFR said. “Because of this fact, David Smith isn’t eligible for selection for the France XV according to international rules and will be released from the squad on Monday morning.”

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Noves Names 6 Changes for France

Guy Novès has made six changes for Saturday’s Six Nations meeting with Ireland after his team’s nervy opening win against Italy.

Novès brings in the wing Teddy Thomas and centre Maxime Mermoz to replace Hugo Bonneval, who is named on the bench, and Gaël Fickou, who has been absent this week for personal reasons.

In the forwards, the props Eddy Ben Arous and Rabah Slimani drop to the bench as Novès prefers Jefferson Poirot and Uini Atonio either side of the captain Guilhem Guirado, with the lock Paul Jedresiak and injured flanker Louis Picamoles making way as Alexandre Flanquart and Yacouba Camara come in.

The sevens specialist Virimi Vakatawa keeps his place on the wing after making a try-scoring full international debut against Italy last Saturday, when France scraped a 23-21 win.

Novès said: “We’ve worked on our defensive organisation to try to counter the Irish. It will be a difficult match, we hope it will be tricky for Ireland too.

“We’ve prepared for this match by getting it into our heads that we have to show more power.”

France team to play Ireland, Stade de France, 2.25pm Sat 13 Feb

M Médard (Toulouse); T Thomas (Racing), M Mermoz (Toulon), J Danty (Stade Français), V Vakatawa (French Rugby Federation); J Plisson (Stade Français), S Bézy (Toulouse); J Poirot (Bordeaux), G Guirado (Toulon, capt), U Atonio (La Rochelle), A Flanquart (Stade Français), Y Maestri (Toulouse), W Lauret (Racing), Y Camara (Toulouse), D Chouly (Clermont Auvergne).

Replacements C Chat (Racing), R Slimani (Stade Français), EB Arous (Racing), P Jedresiak (Clermont Auvergne), L Goujon (Bordeaux), M Machenaud (Racing), J-M Doussain (Toulouse), H Bonneval (Stade Français).

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