Racing Metro full-back Brice Dulin was last night handed a recall to the France squad for their Six Nations opener against Scotland.
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Dulin missed the November Test series of games after sustaining a stress fracture of his left shin with his place in the starting line-up going to South Africa-born Scott Spedding.
But he has been in fine form of late for Racing, convincing coach Philippe Saint-Andre to bring him back in.
“I spoke to him before we had our training camp and he did not feel up to three days of tough physical efforts,” said Saint-Andre of Dulin.
“But now he is much better even if he is not yet at 100 per cent. He will have a week with us to get ready but already we can see that he has got his speed back.”
Also added to the squad were lock Alexandre Flanquart, back-rowers Yannick Nyanga and Wenceslas Lauret, centres Remi Lamerat and Gaël Fickou, and full-backs/wingers Sofiane Guitoune and Noa Nakaitaci.
But there was no place for Toulon scrum-half Sebastien Tillous-Borde who left the French training camp on Wednesday to get treatment with his club for a knee injury.
Tillous-Borde was the starting scrum-half for the November Tests.
His absence leaves Saint-Andre with a choice between Rory Kockott and Morgan Parra to fill the number nine shirt for the game against the Scots at the Stade de France on Saturday.
Also missing will be Racing Metro centre Alexandre Dumoulin who is under treatment for a tendon problem in his leg.
“I had him on the telephone this morning and he is not 100 per cent fit,” said Saint-Andre. “So we brought in Gael Fickou because Maxime Mermoz also has a groin problem.”
Meanwhile, Glasgow prop Ryan Grant has been drafted into Scotland’s squad after being cleared of an assault charge.
The 29-year-old forward, capped 19 times, was omitted from head coach Vern Cotter’s original squad as his trial was ongoing, but he has been brought in after the charges against him were “not proven” at a court in Glasgow.
“Glasgow Warriors loose-head prop Ryan Grant has been added to the Scotland squad for the forthcoming RBS 6 Nations,” the SRU said in a brief statement.
Grant’s Glasgow club-mate and fellow Scotland international Ryan Wilson faces a disciplinary hearing next week after he was convicted of assaulting two men, including rugby player Ally Maclay, on a night out in October 2013.
