Battered Boks call on Vermeulen for France test

PARIS (Reuters) - Number eight Duane Vermeulen is in line to play his first test for over a year after being called up by beleaguered South Africa ahead of their international against France in Paris on Saturday.

(Reuters)

Vermeulen, who plays for French Top 14 side Toulon, won the last of his 37 test caps against Ireland in June 2016, but has been sidelined by injury for much of the time since.

He has been brought back to add muscle to the loose-forwards following a record 38-3 defeat by Ireland in Dublin on Saturday.

Prop Coenie Oosthuizen will return home from the tour after lasting two minutes in the weekend defeat before sustaining knee ligament damage that will leave him sidelined for an extended period of time, South Africa Rugby said on Monday.

Lock Pieter-Steph du Toit, one of the few Springbok players to emerge from the Ireland thrashing with credit, will also miss the test against France after he was concussed in Dublin.

The Boks also face Italy on Nov. 25 and Wales a week later.

(Reporting by Nick Said, editing by Ed Osmond)