France
Castres hooker Brice Mach called up
May 19, 2014
Castres' Brice Mach tries to get the ball out of a ruck, Castres v Grenoble, Top 14, Pierre Antoine Stadium, Castres, France, August 25, 2013
Hooker Brice Mach has two caps for France © Getty Images
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Castres hooker Brice Mach has been called up by France coach Philippe Saint-Andre for their June tour of Australia. Mach, 28, will replace Clermont's Benjamin Kayser, who was ruled out of France's trio of Test matches because of a neck injury.

Saint-Andre was already without preferred hooker Dimitri Szarzewski, and he now has Guilhem Guirado and Christopher Tolofua vying for the No. 2 shirt.

Mach has two caps for France, making his debut during the Six Nations against Wales last February when Kayser and Szarzewski were also sidelined. But he had a nightmare game at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, making several costly mistakes during a heavy 27-6 defeat.

Mach will arrive in Australia after the Top 14 final between Castres and Toulon at Stade de France on May 31. France play Australia in Brisbane on June 7, in Melbourne a week later and then round off their tour in Sydney on June 21.

France squad

Forwards (18): Thomas Domingo (Clermont), Alexandre Menini (Toulon), Guilhem Guirado (Perpignan), Brice Mach (Castres), Christopher Tolofua (Toulouse), Vincent Debaty (Clermont), Nicolas Mas (Montpellier), Rabah Slimani (Stade Franais), Alexandre Flanquart (Stade Franais), Bernard Le Roux (Racing-Mtro), Yoann Maestri (Toulouse), Sbastien Vahaamahina (Perpignan), Antoine Burban (Stade Franais), Damien Chouly (Clermont), Thierry Dusautoir (Toulouse, cap.), Yannick Nyanga (Toulouse), Fulgence Ouedraogo (Montpellier), Louis Picamoles (Toulouse)

Backs (13): Maxime Machenaud (Racing-Mtro), Morgan Parra (Clermont), Frdric Michalak (Toulon), Remi Tales (Castres), Mathieu Bastareaud (Toulon), Gal Fickou (Toulouse), Wesley Fofana (Clermont), Rmi Lamerat (Castres), Yoann Huget (Toulouse), Flix Le Bourhis (Bordeaux-Bgles), Maxime Mdard (Toulouse), Hugo Bonneval (Stade Franais), Brice Dulin (Castres)

© AAP

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