Brice Dulin and Baptiste Serin have both been included in France’s 42-man squad to prepare for the Rugby World Cup on home soil later this year.
The experienced pair have not featured for France since the 2021 Guinness Six Nations, but have enjoyed fine seasons for La Rochelle and Toulon respectively.
As a result, the duo were included by Fabien Galthié in his squad for a first training camp in Monaco that will begin on July 2.
Skipper Antoine Dupont is one of ten Toulouse players included in the squad after their Top 14 victory on Saturday night.
Four uncapped players have made the cut. Up front there are spots for Oyonnax prop Thomas Laclayat, who helped his side to promotion from Pro D2 this season, and La Rochelle flanker Paul Boudehent who helped his team to Heineken Champions Cup glory this season.
In the backs, France Under-20s pair Emilien Gailleton, of Pau, and Louis Bielle-Biarrey from Bordeaux-Bègles, will both be seeking a first senior cap after making the cut, having been omitted from France’s World Under-20s squad to do so.
There is also a welcome return for Arthur Vincent, a regular for Galthié in the early part of his time in charge. The Montpellier centre suffered successive serious knee injuries that have restricted him to just nine appearances in the last two seasons, but he appears to be fit again to take his place.
Galthié has previously explained that this squad is not final, with other players not yet ruled out of contention. That is particularly the case for injured pair Anthony Jelonch and Sipili Falatea.
The former suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament during the 2023 Championship, while the latter picked up a more minor knee issue in Bordeaux’s Top 14 semi-final defeat to La Rochelle.
France will play four Summer Series matches ahead of the tournament, the first against Scotland on August 5 in Edinburgh.
France squad to prepare for the World Cup:
Dorian Aldegheri (Stade Toulousain), Grégory Alldritt (Stade Rochelais), Uini Atonio (Stade Rochelais), Cyril Baille (Stade Toulousain), Demba Bamba (LOU Rugby), Paul Boudehent (Stade Rochelais), Pierre Bourgarit (Stade Rochelais), Bastien Chalureau (Montpellier Hérault Rugby), Dylan Cretin (LOU Rugby), François Cros (Stade Toulousain), Thibaud Flament (Stade Toulousain), Jean-Baptiste Gros (RC Toulon), Thomas Laclayat (Oyonnax Rugby), Maxime Lucu (Union Bordeaux Bègles), Sekou Macalou (Stade Français Paris), Julien Marchand (Stade Toulousain), Peato Mauvaka (Stade Toulousain), Charles Ollivon (RC Toulon), Yoan Tanga (Stade Rochelais), Romain Taofifenua (LOU Rugby), Florian Verhaeghe (Montpellier Hérault Rugby), Réda Wardi (Stade Rochelais), Paul Willemse (Montpellier Hérault Rugby), Cameron Woki (Racing 92)
Louis Bielle-Biarrey (Union Bordeaux Bègles), Baptiste Couilloud (LOU Rugby), Jonathan Danty (Stade Rochelais), Brice Dulin (Stade Rochelais), Ethan Dumortier (LOU Rugby), Antoine Dupont (Stade Toulousain), Gaël Fickou (Racing 92), Emilien Gailleton (Section Paloise), Antoine Hastoy (Stade Rochelais), Matthieu Jalibert (Union Bordeaux Bègles), Melvyn Jaminet (Stade Toulousain), Yoram Moefana (Union Bordeaux Bègles), Romain Ntamack (Stade Toulousain), Damian Penaud (ASM Clermont Auvergne), Thomas Ramos (Stade Toulousain), Baptiste Serin (RC Toulon), Gabin Villière (RC Toulon), Arthur Vincent (Montpellier Hérault Rugby)
