France have dropped nine players - including their last two captains - for a squad session next week to prepare for the Five Nations Championship clash with England at the new Stade de France on February 7th.

Captains Philippe Saint-Andre and Abdelatif Benazzi were among the nine not invited to the session. If injured hooker Marc Del Maso is included, 10 of the side who lost by a record 52-10 to South Africa in Paris last month are omitted.

However, assistant coach Pierre Villepreux insisted they were not dropped.

"We are not excluding anyone from future Test sides. This does not mean these players have finished their careers for France. We simply want to take the opportunity to bring as many players as possible into our planning," he said.

Head coach Jean-Claude Skrela, who pulled off a Five Nations Grand Slam last season, has used 68 players since he took over three years ago, giving a first cap to 40 of them.

The other players to miss next week's session are prop Didier Casadei, lock Olivier Merle, flanker Laurent Cabannes, scrum-half Jerome Cazalbou, out-half Thierry Lacroix, centre David Venditti and full back Jean-Luc Sadourny.

Wales captain Gwyn Jones was said to be "comfortable" yesterday at the University Hospital of Wales after an operation to ease the pressure on his spine. The Cardiff flanker was badly injured in a League match against Swansea on Saturday and was left without movement in his arms and legs.