Imanol Harinordoquy has been named in France's 23-man squad for their opening two matches of the RBS 6 Nations Championship, against Ireland and Scotland, but the versatile Toulouse star Jean-Baptiste Elissalde has been left out.
A knee injury prevented the Biarritz back-row forward from being included in a 33-man group named last week by the head coach, Marc Lièvremont, for a training camp that has been held over the past three days but Harinordoquy is now back and involved after proving his fitness and is named in a trimmed-down party. He was chosen ahead of back-row rivals Julien Bonnaire and Damien Chouly.
The other surprise is the non-inclusion of the versatile Toulouse star Jean-Baptiste Elissalde with Lievrèmont preferring to go with youth at scrum-half in the form of Sébastien Tillous-Borde and Morgan Parra. Florian Fritz has been struggling with a thigh problem this week but is one of three centres called up, along with Yannick Jauzion and Benoît Baby.
As expected, Lièvremont has gone with just one specialist fly-half, Lionel Beauxis, with Jauzion or Parra set to fill in at number 10 in an emergency. Aurélien Rougerie, Alexis Palisson and Maxime Mermoz are the other backs to miss the cut while in the forwards, the hooker Guilhem Guirado and the lock Jérôme Thion will return to their clubs after missing out on selection.
France open their Six Nations campaign against Ireland in Dublin on 7 February and then host Scotland at the Stade de France a week later.
France's 23-man squad for the RBS 6 Nations Championship matches against Ireland and Scotland next month:
Backs: Maxime Medard, Clement Poitrenaud, Cedric Heymans (all Toulouse), Julien Malzieu (Clermont-Auvergne), Yannick Jauzion, Florian Fritz (both Toulouse), Benoit Baby (Clermont-Auvergne), Lionel Beauxis (Stade Francais), Sebastien Tillous-Borde (Castres), Morgan Parra (Bourgoin).
Forwards: Fabien Barcella (Biarritz), Lionel Faure (Sale), Fabien Lecouls (Toulouse), Nicolas Mas (Perpignan), Dimitri Szarzewski (Stade Francais), Benjamin Kayser (Leicester), Lionel Nallet (Castres), Romain Millo-Chluski (Toulouse), Sebastien Chabal (Sale), Imanol Harinordoquy (Biarritz), Fulgence Ouedraogo, Louis Picamoles (both Montpellier), Thierry Dusautoir (Toulouse).
