Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Duo called into France squad ahead of Six Nations opener

Updated at 12:20 pm on 3 February 2012

The Clermont duo Vincent Debaty and Wesley Fofana have been called up by new France rugby coach Philippe Saint Andre for the World Cup finalists' Six Nations opener against Italy in Paris on Sunday.

Saint-Andre, the 44-year-old who succeeded Marc Lievremont, has called up ten of the team that were runners-up to New Zealand in the World Cup final on October the 23rd.

It is the first selection for 24-year-old Fofana who can play at centre or wing.

He will link up at centre with Clermont captain Aurelien Rougerie.

Prop Debaty, 30, gets his second call-up, while Clermont winger Julien Malzieu returns for the first time since June 2010.

Montpellier first five Francois Trinh-Duc, who played mostly a replacement's role during the World Cup, returns to first choice line-up, where he will link up with Biarritz halfback Dimitri Yachvili, who was preferred over Morgan Parra.

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