Dulin adds to French woes
Highly-rated fullback Brice Dulin will play no part in France's November Tests after suffering a stress fracture of the leg.
The 24-year-old Racing-Metro star, who 18 caps to his name, will be out of action for approxiamitely seven weeks.
"We noticed the crack at the end of the training camp with the French squad on Wednesday," Dulin said Dulin.
"As a result of the tests I have been told to rest for four to five weeks in order to get the bone to regenerate. If I had continued to put pressure on the bone it would have broken completely and that would have cost me a lot of time.
"I am disappointed but I am consoled by the fact that it could have been more serious."
His main challenger for the fullback role in the national side, Maxime Medard, is also a doubt as the Toulouse back had to be taken off before the half-hour mark in their Top 14 game with Lyon on Saturday.
The 28-year-old, who boasts 40 caps, scored a try and set-up another before he felt a pain in his groin and asked to be replaced.
"I heard my groin give way and I didn't want to take any risks so I asked to come off.," Medard said.
"I am afraid that it is serious, but we will see. We have taken the first steps to try and heal it by putting ice on it.
"I will go to Marcoussis (the French training centre) on Sunday and undergo scans either then or on Monday. I have been injury free for several weeks but they are part of life of being a rugby player. That is life."
Favourites to replace Dulin and perhaps Medard in the squad, are Bayonne's South African-born fullback Scott Spedding, Dulin's Racing-Metro team-mate and Sevens international Fijian-born Vereimi Vakatawa and Brive's Gaëtan Germain.
France, who have had another forgettable year under head coach Philippe Saint-Andre, open their campaign against Fiji next Saturday followed by Tests against Argentina and Australia.
France's record under 47-year-old Saint-Andre is a mediocre 11 victories, two draws and 16 defeats in his 29 Test matches, since he took over from Marc Lievremont after the 2011 World Cup where they lost 8-7 to hosts the All Blacks in the final.
