British and Irish Lions

The 27-year-old sustained a treble fracture in one of his fingers during Bourgoin's 22-11 win over Clermont-Auvergne at the weekend and will undergo surgery on Thursday in Lyon.

Bonnaire started France's last three Test matches against Canada, Tonga and South Africa.

He should be back in action by mid-January and is likely to be available to France coach Bernard Laporte for the RBS 6 Nations campaign.

France, who finished second last season, will start the 2006
event on February 5 in Scotland.

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.