Kockott in French World Cup frame

 

France coach Philippe Saint-Andre, after a disastrous 2013 during which Les Bleus lost 13 of their 19 matches, has not just stopped at Kockott, just one of 10 foreigners in his extended squad.

 

There has been much hullabaloo surrounding Kockott, who was Top 14 player of the season in 2013 and eligible for France since July.

 

French federation president Pierre Camou said Kockott, like the others, had "to declare their love for France".

 

While Saint-Andre added: "I can tell you that the 10 [foreign] players love France."

 

Australian pair Brock James and Blair Connor, the New Zealander trio of Uini Atonio, Alex Tulou and David Smith, South Africans, Francois van der Merwe and Scott Spedding, Fijian winger Noa Nakaitaci and England's Steffon Armitage have all also been named.

 

Armitage, the European player of the year and an integral part of Toulon's European and Top 14 titles last season, has already been capped by the England Saxons, which up until this year would have seen him ineligible for France.

 

But the International Rugby Board have changed eligibility rules, meaning a player can represent a country provided they have the correct passport and have not been capped by another team for 18 months.

 

The changes were instigated ahead of the inaugural sevens tournament at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.

 

An appearance in just one Olympic sevens qualification event could lead to a player being selected for that nation's 15-a-side team even though the IRB is trying to reduce the number of 'dual internationals'.

 

Saint-Andre said the extended list was good news for French rugby.

 

"We need fighters. Competition is really important," said the former France captain who took over from Marc Lievremont, who took France to the final of the 2011 World Cup.