Sunday 19 October 2014 19:32, UK
Montpellier signed Australian Ben Lucas on Sunday as medical cover for injured France international fly-half Francois Trinh-Duc.
The French Top 14 side made the move as Trinh-Duc is out for between three and four months with a broken leg, suffered last weekend in a league match against Oyonnax.
The versatile Lucas, 26, can play at scrum-half, fly-half and full-back but will not assume kicking duties according to head coach Fabien Galthie.
"He's an Australian who's arriving from Queensland Reds, he's played a few matches at No 10 in Super Rugby as a replacement for Quade Cooper," said Galthie.
"From what I've seen, he doesn't kick. It was the quickest solution, the most immediate one with advantages and disadvantages."
Young French academy graduate Enzo Selponi was called upon to start in Montpellier’s 30-23 Champions Cup defeat to Toulouse on Sunday.
Scrum-halves Benoit Paillaugue and Jonathan Pelissie, neither of whom started on Sunday, were the kicking alternatives to Trinh-Duc.
Another scrum-half Teddy Iribaren kicked against Toulouse with Selponi taking over when the No 9 was in the sin bin.
