
What better way for hosts France to prepare for the World Cup spectacular than with a good old-fashioned sideshow? And France duly delivered a week before their opening match against New Zealand with a rumpus over the selection of Bastien Chalureau after Paul Willemse withdrew from the 33-man squad with a thigh injury.
Several politicians condemned Chalureau’s inclusion due to his conviction for spewing racist insults while brawling in a car park in Toulouse with former rugby players Yannick Larguet and Nassim Arif in January 2019.