Electric French winger Christophe Dominici earned a recall to the team on Wednesday for Saturday's Test with Fiji, but admitted he had been badly hurt by being omitted for the first two matches with the Springboks and Australia.

Dominici was one of two changes made by coach Bernard Laporte to the starting line-up from the one that beat the world champions Australia 14-13 last Saturday in Marseille - first choice flyhalf Gerald Merceron replaces 19-year-old revelation Fredric Michalak after recovering from injury.

The 29-year-old Dominici, who will be making his 26th appearance on Saturday, admitted he had not found it in him to join in the lap of honour along with the rest of the squad following last Saturday's 14-13 victory over the Wallabies.

"I congratulated the team and the Australians as well, but when one has not even got on the pitch one doesn't really feel part of the occasion," the Stade Francais speed machine explained. "At the moment I feel hurt at my exclusion from those matches."

However, Dominici, whose finest hours came during the French run to the 1999 World Cup final which included a fortunate win over the Fijians, said he was determined to display the qualities required to make the wingers spot his own and replace Aurelien Rougerie permanently.

"I realise that I may have lost a bit of aggression in my play and I must rediscover that quality," he admitted. "However, this sort of challenge is good not only for a player but also as a man," he added.

Dominici rejected notions that his generation were being supplanted by the younger lions among the first division clubs such as Rougerie, Michalak and Poitreneaud.

"If one is considered old at 29 then ....!" he laughed. "No perhaps one becomes complacent at a certain age, but whether you are 20 or 30 and sitting on the bench then the feeling is still the same," he added.

However, Dominici said there would be no stopping him come kick-off on Saturday, even if the opposition are the weakest of the three nations to play France this winter.

"It will be as if I was making my debut," he said. "I have plenty of gas though I am missing some sparkle." - Sapa