Marc Lievremont has called up Leicester scrum-half Julien Dupuy ahead of France's summer tour to the southern hemisphere.
Lievremont includes Leicester star in 30-man party
France head coach Marc Lievremont has called up Leicester Tigers scrum-half Julien Dupuy for the first time ahead of Les Bleus' summer tour to the southern hemisphere.
A fine end to the current season saw Dupuy help inspire Leicester to their second Guinness Premiership title in three years.
Dupuy, who is one of two scrum-halves named in a 30-man France squad, has held off England international Harry Ellis to claim the No.9 jersey at Welford Road and he is expected to retain his place in the Heineken Cup final against Leinster on Saturday.
Despite his call-up, many expect 25-year-old Dupuy to play second fiddle to Bourgoin's Morgan Parra.
Experienced scrum-halves Dimitri Yachvili and Jean-Baptiste Elissalde have again been overlooked by Lievremont.
Fit-again Stade Francais lock Pascal Pape returns to the squad after a lengthy spell in the international wilderness, while Toulouse winger Vincent Clerc is included having regained his match sharpness after a serious knee injury.
Aurelien Rougerie and Alexis Palisson are other widemen called up after being ignored for the RBS Six Nations Championship.
Lievremont has opted for Toulouse's David Skrela and Montpellier's Francois Trinh-Duc as the two fly-halves, meaning there is no place for Lionel Beauxis.
Also absent from the back division are Clement Poitrenaud, Julien Malzieu and Benoit Baby.
France play New Zealand twice - in Dunedin on June 13 and in Wellington on June 20 - before rounding off the tour with a Test against Australia, in Sydney on June 27.
France squad
Forwards: Thomas Domingo (Clermont-Auvergne), Fabien Barcella (Biarritz), Nicolas Mas (Perpignan), Sylvain Marconnet, Dimitri Szarzewski (both Stade Francais), Guilhem Guirado (Perpignan), William Servat (Toulouse), Lionel Nallet (Castres), Romain Millo-Chluski (Toulouse), Pascal Pape (Stade Francais), Sebastien Chabal (Sale), Imanol Harinordoquy (Biarritz), Thierry Dusautoir (Toulouse), Julien Bonnaire (Clermont-Auvergne), Fulgence Ouedraogo, Louis Picamoles (both Montpellier).
Backs: Morgan Parra (Bourgoin), Julien Dupuy (Leicester), Francois Trinh-Duc (Montpellier), David Skrela, Yannick Jauzion, Florian Fritz (all Toulouse), Maxime Mermoz (Perpignan), Damien Traille (Biarritz), Mathieu Bastareaud (Stade Francais), Vincent Clerc, Cedric Heymans (both Toulouse), Aurelien Rougerie (Clermont-Auvergne), Maxime Medard (Toulouse), Alexis Palisson (Brive).
