The 36-year-old, who replaces Casey Laulala, is a former Challenge Cup winner, having come on as a second-half substitute in Stade Francais Paris’ 25-17 victory over Gloucester Rugby in the 2017 final at BT Murrayfield.

That was the 47th and penultimate European appearance of the ex-France scrum-half's playing career, in which he scored 142 points across both competitions – for Biarritz Olympique, Leicester Tigers and Stade Francais in that order.

He also appeared in the 2009 Heineken Cup final for Leicester and the 2011 Challenge Cup final for Stade Francais, but narrowly finished on the losing side both times, to Leinster Rugby (19-16) and Harlequins (19-18) respectively.

Dupuy, who also won three TOP14 titles with Stade Francais and one English Premiership winners’ medal with Leicester, began his coaching career at the Parisian club in 2017, when he was placed in charge of their threequarters.

At Toulon, whose quarter-final takes place at Stade Felix Mayol on April 3, he will be the attack coach and responsible for individual technical skills.

European Rugby Challenge Cup quarter-finalists RC Toulon have received a lift in the build-up to their last-eight tie at home to Scarlets next month with the arrival of Julien Dupuy on their coaching team until the end of the season.