All Blacks v France: Inexperienced French squad set to feature in test series

France coach Fabien Galthié has named an inexperienced initial 28-man squad for July’s test series against the All Blacks in New Zealand, according to French newspaper L’Equipe.

The group of players will play in a France A versus England A game this weekend before departing to New Zealand next Tuesday.

Thirteen of the players are uncapped, while of the 15 who are, centre Gaël Fickou, winger Romain Taofifenua, and prop Rabah Slimani are the only ones who have featured in over 50 tests, while 10 of them have fewer than 10 caps.

There are no players from Bayonne, Toulouse, Bordeaux and Toulon, who are taking part in the French Top 14 semifinals this weekend.

Players from the losing sides will be added before the team departs, while a maximum of five will be included from the Top 14 final, which takes place on June 28, but they will only be available for the second and third tests.

But those players can’t have played more than 2000 minutes across the season and the clubs must agree to release them, only adding to the complications.

There are reports that Romain Ntamack is set to miss the series, as he requires knee surgery.

A final group of 42 players will be in New Zealand.

The first test gets under way on July 5 in Dunedin with matches in Wellington and Hamilton to follow.

French squad:

Props: Baptiste Erdocio, Demba Bamba, Paul Mallez, Régis Montagne, Rabah Slimani

Hookers: Gaëtan Barlot, Guillaume Marchand

Locks: Hugo Auradou, Tyler Duguid, Mickaël Guillard, Romain Taofifenua

Loose forwards: Alexandre Fischer, Killian Tixeront, Jacobus van Tonder, Théo William, Cameron Woki

Halfbacks: Thibault Daubagna, Baptiste Jauneau, Nolann Le Garrec

First-fives: Léo Berdeu, Antoine Hastoy

Midfield: Alivereti Duguivalu, Gaël Fickou, Émilien Gailleton, Théo Millet

Back three: Théo Attissogbé, Maël Moustin, Léo Barré

Ben Francis is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers breaking sports news.