Thierry Lacroix and Laurent Cabannes have earned a recall with the French national team to play Argentina, Italy and Romania in the Latin Cup later this month following impressive performances for Harlequins this season.

Lacroix (30) won the last of his 38 caps against Ireland at the Parc des Princes in February, 1996, when he went off injured. Cabannes (33) won his 45th cap against Wales in Cardiff in March 1996.

Left wing Philippe Saint Andre, now with another English club, Gloucester, is also back in the frame after a lengthy absence caused by injury.

The 30-year-old left wing captained France for 29 matches before being injured against Romania in 1996 and returns as skipper. Abdel Benazzi had led France to a Five Nations Grand Slam in his absence, although France lost both a home Test tour to South Africa, in November 1996, and an away series to Australia, in June 1997.

Fabien Galthie, who badly injured a knee in the Five Nations match in Dublin in January, replaces Philippe Carbonneau, the Brive scrum-half in the thick of the European Cup battle with Pontypridd which led to both clubs being fined.

Assistant coach Pierre Villepreux said: "Lacroix has been extraordinary and Saint Andre is the natural leader the team has lacked."

France (Squad for Latin Cup, v Italy, Romania and Argentina) - Backs: Brusque (Pau), Castaignede (Castres), Cazalbou (Stade Toulousain), Galthie (Colomiers), Glas (Bourgoin), Lacroix (Harlequins), Lamaison (Brive), Leflamand (Bourgoin), Sadourny (Colomiers), Saint-Andre (capt, Gloucester), Venditti (Brive); Forwards: Bacque (Pau), Benazzi (Agen), Benetton (Agen), Brouzet (Begles-Bordeaux), Cabannes (Harlequins), Califano (Stade Toulousain), Casadei (Brive), Dalmaso (Agen), Ibanez (Dax), Magne (Brive), Merle (Monferrand), Pelous (Stade Toulousain), Tournaire (Stade Toulousain).

Latin Cup dates: October 18th - France v Italy, Argentina v Romania; Oct 22nd - France v Romania, Argentina v Italy; Oct 26th - France v Argentina, Italy v Romania.