Six Nations: France Release Eight Players To Their Clubs
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France head coach Fabien Galthie has trimmed his squad ahead of the weekend's Top 14 action.
As part of the performance partnership between the FFR and the LNR, the national team's boss is required to release eight members of his Six Nations squad back to their clubs during the TOP 14 weekends.
Racing 92, Lyon and Toulouse are the two biggest benefactors of this agreement, this weekend with both clubs receiving two players back from the national side.
Prop Hassane Kolingar and winger Donovan Toafifenua both return for Racing 92 who head to the Altrad Stadium to face Montpellier. The hosts of that clash will have outside back Vincent Rattez at their disposal too after he was released from the squad.
Meanwhile table-toppers Toulouse head to the Stade Marcel-Deflandre where they will face second-placed La Rochelle. Toulouse's back row will be boosted with Francois Cros and Selevasio Tolofua returning for test duty.
Lyon will welcome back star halfback Baptiste Couilloud and lock Killian Geraci ahead of their home match with Pau while Stade Francais will have Julien Dulbouis available for their home match against Castres.
France kicked off their Six Nations campaign on 6 February in Italy with a trip to the Aviva to face Ireland in round two of the competition. They then host Scotland before heading to Twickenham and complete their campaign at home against Wales.
Players release by France for TOP14 action this weekend:
KOLINGAR Hassane (Racing 92, 2 selections)
GERACI Killian (LOU Rugby, 2 selections)
CROS François (Stade Toulousain, 8 selections)
TOLOFUA Selevasio (Stade Toulousain, 1 selection)
COUILLOUD Baptiste (LOU Rugby, 5 selections)
DELBOUIS Julien (Stade Français Paris, 0 selection)
TAOFIFENUA Donovan (Racing 92, 0 selection)
RATTEZ Vincent (Montpellier Herault Rugby, 8 selections)
GERACI Killian (LOU Rugby, 2 selections)
CROS François (Stade Toulousain, 8 selections)
TOLOFUA Selevasio (Stade Toulousain, 1 selection)
COUILLOUD Baptiste (LOU Rugby, 5 selections)
DELBOUIS Julien (Stade Français Paris, 0 selection)
TAOFIFENUA Donovan (Racing 92, 0 selection)
RATTEZ Vincent (Montpellier Herault Rugby, 8 selections)