British and Irish Lions

Les Bleus coach Bernard Laporte is tipped to make wholesale changes following their second defeat of the series - a 15-12 loss to Ireland.

However, New Zealand-born Marsh, capped 11 times for France, will not be available after surgery.

The 30-year-old has not played for the defending RBS 6 Nations champions since June 2002 and cannot play for at least another month.

"This is a personal health problem," Marsh told French newspaper L'Equipe. "I don't want to talk about it publicly.

"I have known for three weeks that I had that worry and I had to be operated on.

"I am not depressed about it. That's life, my health is more important than rugby. I needed to be operated on and I did it, full stop."

France's hopes of retaining the RBS 6 Nations title evaporated in Dublin with their second defeat in three games.

Three former British & Irish Lions will line-up against an England XV at Twickenham Stadium on Sunday as the Barbarians warm-up for their showdown with the 2013 tourists in Hong Kong next week.

Radike Samo, one of only two players still playing top level rugby in Australia who placed against the 2001 British & Irish Lions, will return to top flight action with Queensland Reds against the Stormers in Cape Town on Sunday.

British & Irish Lions hookers Dylan Hartley and Tom Youngs will fight out their own private duel in the Aviva Premiership final at Twickenham on Saturday and then become team mates for the next six weeks a day later.