Disgraced rugby player Mathieu Bastareaud could face at least two years out of the French national side, after he lied about being assaulted in Wellington earlier this year.
The 20-year-old claimed he was attacked outside the team hotel, but later admitted his injuries were inflicted during a drunken stumble inside his hotel room.
A disciplinary inquiry by the French Rugby Federation is due to issue its findings on the matter within the next few weeks.
Inquiry head Francois Alguacil has told a French newspaper that a two-year suspension is likely, which would rule Bastareaud out of the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.
Alguacil says Bastareaud is the only one implicated in disrespecting the players' charter and will be the only one facing sanctions. He says the team's managers were also lied to and are no longer involved in the investigation.
