French call up veteran Nallet
Veteran lock Lionel Nallet was called-up by France coach Philippe Saint-Andre to replace the injured Romain Millo-Chluski in the Six Nations training squad for the opening match with Italy.
Nallet, 35 and capped 70 times, had been the only player from the starting XV in last year’s World Cup Final to be left out of Saint-Andre’s initial squad, his first as coach since replacing Marc Lievremont.
However, Millo-Chluski – who was also part of the World Cup squad – suffered a dislocated right shoulder on Saturday in the Top 14 match with Lyon which will take at the very least four to five weeks to mend.
Toulouse, though, said on Monday that were he to need an operation then his season would be over.
The squad will come together at the Marcoussis training centre from January 23 to 25, while Saint-Andre will name his squad of 23 for the February 4 clash on January 25.
France:
Forwards: Fabien Barcella (Biarritz), Vincent Debaty (Clermont), Luc Ducalcon (Castres), Nicolas Mas (Perpignan), Jean-Baptiste Poux (Toulouse), William Servat (Toulouse), Dimitri Szarzewski (Stade Francais), Yoann Maestri (Toulouse), Lionel Nallet (Racing-Metro), Pascal Pape (Stade Francais), Julien Pierre (Clermont), Imanol Harinordoquy (Biarritz), Thierry Dusautoir (Toulouse, captain), Fulgence Ouedraogo (Montpellier), Yannick Nyanga (Toulouse), Louis Picamoles (Toulouse), Julien Bonnaire (Clermont).
Backs: Morgan Parra (Clermont), Dimitri Yachvili (Biarritz), Lionel Beauxis (Toulouse), Francois Trinh-Duc (Montpellier), Yann David (Toulouse), Wesley Fofana (Clermont), Maxime Mermoz (Perpignan), Aurelien Rougerie (Clermont), Vincent Clerc (Toulouse), Julien Malzieu (Clermont), Alexis Palisson (Toulon), Maxime Medard (Toulouse), Clement Poitrenaud (Toulouse).
AFP