Guirado called into French elite squad

Editor

Toulon hooker Guilhem Guirado has been added to France's elite squad to replace the injured Hugo Bonneval.

Toulon hooker Guilhem Guirado has been added to France's elite squad to replace the injured Hugo Bonneval.

The Stade Français full-back tore his ACL on France's June tour to Australia and will be out of action until at least the start of the Six Nations, this week revealing he was targeting a February return.

That opened up a spot in the 30-man squad who will receive extra protection in view of improving the national team's performances.

But rather than pick another full-back, with Brice Dulin, Yoann Huget and Maxime Médard all in the squad, Philippe Saint-André has elected to bring in a third hooker.

Guirado impressed on the Australia tour, stepping up in the injury-enforced absence of Dimitri Szarzewski and Benjamin Kayser.

The Racing skipper is still recovering from Achilles problem he picked up last season, while Kayser is now back fit again after a hernia problem.

But with both men having spent time on the sidelines, Saint-André has deemed it necessary to bring in a third hooker, and having joined Toulon from Perpignan over the off-season, Guirado has got the nod.