10 Feb 2012

Parra replaces Yachvili in French side

12:59 pm on 10 February 2012

Halfback Morgan Parra will start France's Six Nations rugby home match against Ireland this weekend after Dimitri Yachvili withdrew because of injury.

Yachvili - the starting halfback when France lost the World Cup final to New Zealand in October and for the first Six Nations game against Italy last weekend - was suffering from lower back pain.

Parra replaced Yachvili for the last 17 minutes of last weekend's win, back to his usual position having been France's first five for most of the World Cup.

France called up Stade Francais player Julien Dupuy as a replacement.