Michalak makes French team

Frederic Michalak has been named in France’s team to play Scotland in this weekend’s RBS 6 Nations clash at Murrayfield.

The Toulouse fly-half had been struggling with a niggling groin injury but has been included in Bernard Laporte’s starting line-up for Sunday’s encounter with the Scots.

That means uncapped Bourgoin fly-half Benjamin Boyer, who had been tipped to take over the number 10 shirt if Michalak had been ruled out, has had to settle for a place on the bench.

As expected, Toulouse lock Fabien Pelous returns to captain the side after serving a nine-week ban for elbowing Australia hooker Brendan Cannon during November’s Test match against the Wallabies.

Winger Christophe Dominici and full-back Nicolas Brusque have also been named in the team after being recalled to the national fold earlier this month.

Team: N Brusque (Biarritz); C Dominici (Stade Francais), F Fritz (Toulouse), Y Jauzion (Toulouse), C Heymans (Toulouse); F Michalak (Toulouse), JB Elissalde (Toulouse); S Marconnet (Stade Francais), D Szarzewski (Stade Francais), P de Villiers (Stade Francais), F Pelous (Toulouse, capt), J Thion (Biarritz), Y Nyanga (Toulouse), J Bonnaire (Bourgoin), R Martin (Stade Francais).

Replacements: S Bruno (Sale), O Milloud (Bourgoin), L Nallet (Castres), T Lievremont (Biarritz), D Yachvili (Biarritz), B Boyet (Bourgoin), L Valbon (Brive).