Racing 92’s Teddy Baubigny has replaced Camille Chat in France’s Guinness Six Nations squad after the experienced hooker suffered a calf injury.
The 21-year-old Baubigny is uncapped but comes into the squad after an impressive domestic season so far.
Baubigny is the third uncapped player to join the French squad this week, alongside centre Yvan Reilhac from Montpellier and Bordeaux-Begles back-rower Alexandre Roumat.
Reilhac and Roumat replaced Kylan Hamdaoui and Dylan Cretin respectively who are also suffering with fitness issues in an injury-hit week for Les Bleus.
France’s first fixture of this year’s Championship is against England on Sunday and Chat was tipped to take recently retired Guilhem Guirado’s No.2 jersey and his place in the national side.
Chat’s injury leaves French head coach Fabien Galthié with Peato Mauvaka and Julien Marchand as his two other choices for Hooker.
The France squad was already inexperienced before the injury setbacks announced this week, as Gael Fickou is their most capped player with 51 .
France have not stated a timeframe on Chat’s absence but it seems likely that he will be out long enough to miss at least the match against England and France’s fixture against Italy on February 9.
