French stage 'internal investigation'

Eight players who went out in Edinburgh after the defeat were omitted from the squad for the next game against Italy.

"The President of the French Rugby Federation (FFR) Bernard Laporte has decided to conduct an internal investigation to shed light on the course of the evening," said the FFR in a statement.

The eight players axed from the squad for the match against Italy on February 23 in Marseille were Teddy Thomas, Louis Picamoles, Arthur Iturria, Anthony Belleau, Jonathan Danty, Sekou Macalou, Remi Lamerat and Felix Lambey.

The players' night out in the Scottish capital became public when Scottish police delayed the departure of the French team's flight home on Monday morning.

The police wanted to talk to six players because they were potential witnesses, rather than perpetrators, in a possible sexual assault but quickly concluded that no crime had been committed.

Agence France-Presse