The prosecutor's office said in a statement it had charged the pair with "the crime of sexual assault with penetration, aggravated by the participation of two people." The players face between eight and 20 years in prison if found guilty.

The pair will remain in custody until a hearing scheduled in 10 days to determine if they will await trial in detention or under house arrest. If granted house arrest, they will have to establish a residence in Mendoza and will not be permitted to return to France, a spokesman for the city's judiciary said.

The two men were arrested Monday in Buenos Aires after a 39-year-old woman accused them of raping her multiple times and beating her in a Mendoza hotel room after the match, part of a tour of South America by the French national squad. The men deny the accusation, saying they had consensual sexual relations with the woman. Their French attorney Antoine Vey expressed concern over the "fairly considerable media hype" over a case that has caused shock in France and Argentina.

Vey said his clients deserved "the presumption of innocence, which is not an empty phrase."

Raped "at least six times"

The players were transferred Thursday by car from Interpol's Buenos Aires headquarters to Mendoza, some 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) west. The 39-year-old woman's lawyer, Natacha Romano, told Agence France-Presse on Wednesday her client had suffered violence at the hands of her assailants in a hotel room, with injuries to her face, back, breasts, legs and ribs as well as bite and scratch marks.

The woman claims to have been raped "at least six times" by one of the men and once by the other, according to the lawyer. She allegedly tried to escape several times.

The attack allegedly took place Saturday night at the Diplomatic Hotel in Mendoza, where France's players and staff were staying after beating Argentina. Romano said the woman had gone with one of the men from a nightclub to the hotel, where she alleges she was abused for several hours. Romano added that her client was hospitalised Thursday after feeling emotionally and physically ill "because of everything that happened."

"The violence was fierce," said Romano. "There is more than one crime to investigate."

"They are innocent"

Another defense attorney, German Hnatow, told journalists his clients would give a statement "quite different from what the victim has said.” He said his clients were "sure of their version, they are calm because they know they are innocent, but of course they are worried about this whole situation that they have had to live through."

Hnatow said he believed house arrest would be possible "as long as the risk of flight and the obstruction of evidence can be mitigated." Lawyer Rafael Cuneo Libarona, who also represents the players, said "sexual relations" had been "consensual."

"There are witnesses who saw her leave (the hotel). There are cameras that saw her leave. Apparently, no injuries are seen in the footage," Libarona —the brother of Justice Minister Mariano Cuneo Libarona— told journalists. But Romano said "the overwhelming proof that there was no consent is the victim's body" and the wounds she bears.

Auradou and Jegou have been replaced by lock Mickael Guillard and flanker Judicael Cancoriet for Saturday's second match against Argentina in Buenos Aires.