World Cup forces retired Elissalde back to rugby pitch

Retired Toulouse scrum-half 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. Former France international Elissalde has not played competitive rugby since June 2010, however the 33-year-old -- now a coach with the southern club -- has been called in to replace Jean-Marc Doussain. Doussain has been called into the France squad, currently involved in the World Cup, to replace the injured David Skrela. With Toulouse's two other scrum halves 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. Is is a "completely absurd situation, but the club has no choice," Noves told AFP Wednesday. "As of next week he (Elissalde) will be training with (scrum/fly-half) Nicolas Bezy and they will share the position until our three scrum halves 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. Noves added: "We asked Jean-Baptiste Elissalde this morning to get his licence and to get kitted up again. He's said yes, but we're aware we could be putting his health at risk. "He hasn't played for nearly two years so we know what we're asking him. But we're in a very precarious position -- we had been counting on Jean-Marc (Doussain) for the start of the season" because of the presence of other internationals at the World Cup. Elissalde's last match was on June 6, 2010 with the Barbarians against Ireland, at the end of a season in which he won a third European Cup with Toulouse. Despite the inconvenience for Noves, the Frenchman said he was overjoyed at Doussain's first call-up for Les Bleus. "We're all delighted for him," said Noves. "It's a fair reward for him and it's a great chance for him to play some part in the World Cup." Doussain, the captain of France's under-20 side, spent much of his youth career as a fly-half but been used at number nine, or scrum-half, at Toulouse. "I'm delighted. I didn't expect the call-up," he said. "I haven't been told which position I could be playing in -- I grew up playing at number 10 but I've been playing at number nine with Toulouse since last season." Doussain is expected to arrive in New Zealand on Tuesday. Before then he is concentrating on Toulouse's fourth Top 14 encounter of the season against Biarritz. "I won't start thinking about the World Cup until I'm on the flight," he said.