Stade Toulousain’s injury worries have taken a decided turn for the better following a positive MRI scan for Frédéric Michalak, and encouraging news about both Yannick Jauzion and Jean-Baptiste Elissalde.

It had been feared that Michalak could miss the opening two rounds of Top 14 after a suspected hamstring tear (sustained in the friendly against SCA Albi), but an MRI scan on Wednesday showed it was merely a ‘contracture’.

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The 26-year-old international had impressed at fly-half during both of Toulouse’s opening friendlies, a reassuring sight for head coach Guy Noves with both David Skrela and Elissalde currently out injured.

Michalak’s absence would have left a massive gap at No 10 if he had been ruled out as feared for up to three weeks, but the positive scan will be a relief to all at the three-times European champions.

He will still miss Friday’s friendly against Biarritz, but should be fit to face Montauban next week in the season’s opener.

Jauzion has been included in Stade’s squad for Friday after recovering earlier than expected after an operation to remove his tonsils and Toulouse are also hopeful that Elissalde could be fit for next week’s season opener.

The club has named a strong-looking squad for Friday’s clash with Biarritz, with international backs Byron Kelleher, Vincent Clerc, Cedric Heymans, Jauzion, Maxime Medard, Florian Fritz, and Clement Poitrenaud all included.

Sacked Wallaby Lote Tuqiri will reportedly join Top 14’s Bayonne for next season. The international winger was linked with a move to Bayonne earlier this week but is apparently keen to tie up business in Australia first before heading over to France.

He is currently in the midst of suing the Australian Rugby Union for terminating his national contract and is said to want a conclusion to that before he signs for the Basques.

“It’s very complicated,” said Bayonne coach Richard Dourthe. “We are in contact with him but he expects to resolve his problems in Australia first. He doesn’t want to do anything until everything is finalised there, but if he wants to come we are obviously in agreement,” he told Midi Olympique.

The paper says contract negotiations between Bayonne and Tuqiri are already “very advanced” with the Australian former international poised to pen a deal for the start of the 2010/11 season.

Elsewhere in France, the Ligue Nationale de Rugby has declined to extend half-time breaks to 15 minutes, preferring instead to keep the current 10-minute interval.

The LNR has also confirmed that Montauban’s Gregory Arganese and Brive’s Jonathan Elgoyhen will both be free to play in the opening round of Top 14 after picking up 10 day bans for their red cards in last week’s friendly – which Brive won 27-26.

Argentine Gonzalo Quesada, meanwhile, has had his contract extended by two years as France’s national kicking coach. He will now be with ‘Les Bleus’ until the 2011 World Cup.