But despite playing in all five of France’s games in their 2010 Grand-Slam winning Six Nations campaign Bastareaud has since failed to add to his nine Les Bleus caps.

However all that could change this time around as the 24-year-old survived Saint-Andre trimming his original 33-strong squad down to 24, with just one more player set to lose his place ahead of Sunday’s opener against Italy.

Flanker Thierry Dusautoir and prop Luc Ducalcon were also retained, the former having not donned the blue shirt since last year’s Six Nations having been left out of a tour to Argentina and then missing the November Tests with a knee injury.

Ducalcon last featured at the 2011 World Cup but also makes the squad, while Saint-Andre has given a vote of confidence to 22-year-old second row Romain Taofifenua, who has just one cap to date.

France squad:

Forwards: Vincent Debaty (Clermont), Yannick Forestier (Castres), Benjamin Kayser (Clermont), Dimitri Szarzewski (Racing-Metro), Luc Ducalcon (Racing-Metro), Nicolas Mas (Perpignan), Yoann Maestri (Toulouse), Pascal Pape (Stade Francais, capt), Romain Taofifenua (Perpignan), Damien Chouly (Clermont), Thierry Dusautoir (Toulouse), Yannick Nyanga (Toulouse), Fulgence Ouedraogo (Montpellier), Louis Picamoles (Toulouse)

Backs: Maxime Machenaud (Racing-Metro), Morgan Parra (Clermont), Frederic Michalak (Toulon), Francois Trinh-Duc (Montpellier), Mathieu Bastareaud (Toulon), Benjamin Fall (Racing-Metro), Wesley Fofana (Clermont), Florian Fritz (Toulouse), Yoann Huget (Toulouse), Maxime Mermoz (Toulon)