Pollard, world champion in 2109 with the Springboks, who will join English club Leicester next season, has been absent for more than three months.

Competing with Italian international Paolo Garbisi and young Louis Foursans, he has played little this season.

Doumayrou (32), returned this summer to his training club, has not played since November 6.

Until then, the three-quarter international center thirteen times from 2017 to 2019 had played the first nine games, including eight as a starter.

In addition, the second line Florian Verhaeghe, recovered from a contusion contracted in Toulouse on March 20, is again operational.

Conversely, the emblematic third line Fulgence Ouedraogo, the third line Marco Tauleigne or the South African center Jan Serfontein (knee) extend their recovery.

Montpellier leads the Top 14, ten points ahead of La Rochelle and Castres, ranked third and fourth respectively, before heading into their European Cup match.

© 2022 AFP