Sawt Falasteen - France hooker Mauvaka returns after eight-month layoff

A key player with 42 caps and five starts for champions France in the last Six Nations championship, Mauvaka picked up a torn cruciate ligament in his right knee during a training session with Toulouse last April.

The 28-year-old will be on the bench against Perpignan on Saturday when the Top 14 leaders travel to play the bottom-placed team for round 14.

"His injury has progressed well, we're on schedule," Toulouse forwards coach Virgile Lacombe told a press conference.

The New Caledonian native has not played since a 52-6 win over Castres on April 26.

His return is a boost for France coach Fabien Galthie as it follows the return for Toulouse of captain and scrum-half Antoine Dupont's in early December.

Another Toulouse player, flanker Francois Cros who has been a key member of the France back row, hopes to return to action around mid-January.

Meanwhile, South African international flanker Jean-Luc Du Preez, one of Bordeaux-Begles' key offseason signings, will make his Top 14 debut on Saturday against Racing 92.

The 30-year-old Springbok, formerly with Durban Sharks and Sale, returned from the Rugby Championship this summer with a serious knee injury and has not played since June 28.

Z.AbuSaud--SF-PST