Rugby:France's fullback Maxime Medard has been ruled out for between six and nine months with a serious knee ligament injury sustained in the 23-17 victory over Scotland at Murrayfield last weekend.

The Toulouse player went off in the second half and a subsequent scan revealed he had suffered damaged his anterior cruciate ligament. The 25-year-old Toulouse player said: “The operation is booked for Monday and my unavailability will be from six to nine months.”

Medard scored a try in France’s victory at Murrayfield and his absence for the remainder of the Six Nations and beyond is a significant blow to coach Philippe Saint-Andre’s hopes of leading his troops to the Grand Slam.

Saint-Andre has turned to Medard’s Toulouse team-mate Clement Poitrenaud to deputise at full-back for this weekend’s rearranged clash with Ireland in Paris.