The 31-year-old, who had not played competitively for three months due to a serious cheekbone injury, featured in the final four minutes of his side's 28-4 victory over their Irish rivals.

He told LEquipe that his involvement was not pre-planned, saying: There were no established plans.

I was a substitute and I hoped to play at some point. The coaches did not ask me to play to please me but to replace Imanol (Harinordoquy), who had been limping for 10 minutes. They did not want to take any risk with him.

I have been absent for three months and during that period of time the team kept progressing.

So it is normal that I come back as a substitute. Those who played (on Friday) are those who helped the club climb to the top of the Top 14 and the European group phase.

But my objective now is to regain my place.

Betsen has not played for France since the 2005 RBS 6 Nations, when he was an automatic choice for first-team selection.

But coach Bernard Laporte opted to rest him for the summer tour in South Africa and Australia, where France failed to win a match.

In June the staff gave me the choice to go to the Southern Hemisphere or not, added Betsen.

The season had been extremely long and I was tired. I would have been a cheater to go there knowing I could not live up to expectations physically.''