Toulouse coach comes off the bench

Retired Toulouse scrumhalf Jean-Baptiste Elissalde is being forced to ditch his coaching duties with the French club and kit up for the first time in 15 months because of the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.

France's former international halfback, Elissalde, has not played competitive rugby since June 2010. But the 33-year-old - now a coach with the southern club - has been called up to replace Jean-Marc Doussain.

Doussain has been called into the France squad at the World Cup to replace the injured David Skrela.

With Toulouse's two other scrumhalves also in New Zealand, the club have been left with no choice.

The situation has been labelled "absurd" by Toulouse manager Guy Noves, who believes it could ultimately "endanger the health" of Elissalde.

It is a "completely absurd situation, but the club has no choice," Noves said yesterday.

"As of next week he (Elissalde) will be training with (scrum/fly-half) Nicolas Bezy and they will share the position until our three scrumhalves return from the World Cup (Australian Luke Burgess, Argentina's Nicolas Vergallo and Doussain)."

Elissalde will now seek a club licence that will allow him to play in the Top 14 championship but which will expire as soon as France - the team to which the replacement player, in this case Doussain - are eliminated from the tournament.

"We asked Jean-Baptiste Elissalde this morning to get his licence and to get kitted up again," Noves added. "He's said yes, but we're aware we could be putting his health at risk."