The France rugby coach Marc Lievremont has forgiven Mathieu Bastareaud for lying about being attacked after a loss in New Zealand last year and has named him in a 30-man squad for the Six Nations championship.
The 21-year-old centre had said he was attacked by up to five people as he returned to the team hotel following a 14-10 loss to the All Blacks in Wellington last June.
Back in France, after being told CCTV footage showed him entering the hotel uninjured, he admitted lying and said he had fallen in his bedroom because he was drunk.
The French Rugby Federation ordered Basteraud to do 18 sessions of community service for the benefit of amateur rugby but he was not suspended.
Lievremont says the "unhappy episode" is forgotten and Bastareaud deserves to be back because he is performing well with his Stade Francais club and because he has started to do the community service.
