Marsh to return for France

Centre Tony Marsh, who underwent chemotherapy this year for testicular cancer, was yesterday named in the French team for their opening game against Fiji on Saturday.

The New Zealand-born player won the last of his 11 caps in June last year against Australia in Sydney.

He returned to action on September 20 when he played for 70 minutes for the French Barbarians against a President's XV featuring most of the French World Cup squad.

Coach Bernard Laporte has also selected first five-eighth Frederic Michalak, 20, ahead of the experienced Gerald Merceron to lead the attack and assume goalkicking duties in the pool B match at Brisbane's Lang Park Stadium.

In the pack, France will field six of the forwards who helped win the Six Nations Grand Slam in 2002 - prop Jean-Jacques Crenca, hooker Raphael Ibanez, lock Fabien Pelous, flankers Olivier Magne and Serge Betsen, and No 8 Imanol Harinordoquy.

Jean-Baptiste Pou will take over from prop Pieter de Villiers, who withdrew from the squad after dislocating a shoulder in a mountain bike accident at the end of August.

Lock Jerome Thion replaces Olivier Brouzet, who is recovering from a shoulder injury, but will be available for France's second game against Japan in Townsville on October 18.

France: Nicolas Brusque, Aurelien Rougerie, Tony Marsh, Yannick Jauzion, Christophe Dominici, Frederic Michalak, Fabien Galthie (captain), Imanol Harinordoquy, Olivier Magne, Serge Betsen, Jerome Thion, Fabien Pelous, Jean-Baptiste Poux, Raphael Ibanez and Jean-Jacques Crenca. Res: Yannick Bru, Olivier Milloud, Olivier Brouzet, Christian Labit, Gerald Merceron, Damien Traille, Pepito Elhorga.

* Experienced frontrower Isaia Rasila will miss Fiji's match against France after the death of his mother.

Fiji liaison officer Charlie Charters said Rasila would leave Brisbane to be with family near Sigatoka, 200km west of Suva.

Rasila, who played in the 1999 World Cup and captained Fiji on their two-match tour of Australia in June this year, will rejoin the team on the Gold Coast next Tuesday and be considered for the following day's match against the United States.

* Keith Gleeson has a burning ambition to show Australian rugby fans what they've missed when he steps out with the Irish team.

Gleeson - son of an Australian father and Irish mother - moved to Australia from Ireland when he was seven and grew up in Sydney where he went on to captain Australia's under-21 team.

The 27-year-old flanker hit a wall when he vied with contemporary Wallabies Phil Waugh and George Smith for higher state and national honours, so he returned to Ireland and forced his way into the national team early last year.

Now Gleeson has 16 caps and has been chosen for Ireland's opening game against Romania in Gosford on Saturday. But he has an eye on the November 1 showdown in pool A with hosts Australia in Melbourne.

- AGENCIES

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