Rugby World Cup: Mathieu Bastareaud and Morgan Parra not in France squad

France vice-captain Mathieu Bastareaud — Bastareaud, who has 54 caps, made his test debut in 2009

Mathieu Bastareaud and Morgan Parra have been left out of France's 37-man squad for the Rugby World Cup.

Centre Bastareaud, 30, previously captained Les Bleus in the absence of regular skipper Guilhem Guirado.

Scrum-half Parra, also 30, is ruled out with an ankle injury sustained playing for Clermont last month.

Racing 92 wing Teddy Thomas and La Rochelle prop Uini Atonio also miss out on selection for the tournament, which begins in Japan on 20 September.

France start their campaign against Argentina on 21 September before facing the United States, Tonga and Eddie Jones' England in Pool C.

Bastareaud, capped 54 times by his country, and Parra, who has 71 caps, both played in the France team beaten by New Zealand in the quarter-finals of the 2015 World Cup, while Parra also featured in the 2011 tournament.

But outgoing head coach Jacques Brunel, who will be succeeded by Fabien Galthie after the World Cup, has not included either on his list of 31 plus six standby players.

Brunel has named three uncapped players in Clermont wing Alivereti Raka, Toulouse hooker Peato Mauvaka and Toulon prop Emerick Setiano.

Toulouse's Top 14-winning side dominate the list with seven players, including a place for centre Sofiane Guitoune, whose last cap came during in 2015.

Brunel revealed Guitoune's form had been one of the reasons for Bastareaud's omission.

"He [Bastareaud] is in a position full of competition with players in form. I'm thinking of Sofiane Guitoune who has been very good," Brunel said.

"I wasn't sure if Guitoune could keep up his form during the whole season but he did."

France squad

Forwards

Poirot (Bordeaux-Begles), Priso (La Rochelle), Guirado (Toulon, capt), Chat (Racing 92), Mauvaka (Toulouse), Setiano (Toulon), Slimani (Clermont), Bamba (Brive), Vahaamahina (Clermont), Lambey (Lyon), B Le Roux (Racing 92), Gabrillagues (Stade Francais), Iturria (Clermont), Y Camara (Montpellier), Lauret (Racing 92), Alldritt (La Rochelle), Picamoles (Montpellier)

Backs

A Dupont (Toulouse), Serin (Bordeaux-Begles), Machenaud (Racing 92), Ntamack (Toulouse), Lopez (Clermont), Fofana (Clermont), Fickou (Stade Francais), Doumayrou (La Rochelle), Guitoune (Toulouse), Huget (Toulouse), Penaud (Clermont), Raka (Clermont), Ramos (Toulouse), Medard (Toulouse)

Reserves

Falgoux (Clermont), Ollivon (Toulon), F Cros (Toulouse), Willemse (Montpellier), Belleau (Toulon), Rattez (La Rochelle)