France call up 20-year-old Dupont as injury cover

Coach Guy Novès has sent out SOS for the young Castres star ahead of this weekend's match against Italy.

France coach Guy Novès has called up Castres Olympique wunderkind Antoine Dupont to the squad for the weekend's game against Italy in Rome this weekend, in case Maxime Machenaud fails to recover from injury.

Racing 92 scrum-half Machenaud has come off the bench in all three of France's Six Nations matches so far, but missed training at Marcoussis on Wednesday on medical grounds, prompting Novès to send out an SOS for the 20-year-old, who will join Toulouse next season.

Dupont, who can also provide cover at 10, has been preferred to future Toulouse team-mates Jean-Marc Doussain – who was in the matchday squads for the first two rounds of the tournament – and Sébastien Bézy. Barring further setbacks in the national team, both players will be available for the club's all-important next Top 14 game against Brive, as they try to force their way back into the top six.

They are currently eighth, but have never finished outside the top six in the history of the Top 14 competition.

The young star of the Top 14 announced himself on the international scene with an impressive display for the French Barbarians against an Australian XV in Bordeaux in November.