KEY POINTS:
There were Gallic shrugs all round at Auckland airport arrivals today as a few French ex-pats struggled to identify their national rugby team, while the coach admitted it was a tour he could have done without.
The 26-man French squad sleep walked into the venue of the
first of two tests with the All Blacks, barely registering with a nonplussed band of supporters.
Their greeting party could hardly be blamed for having difficulty in putting names to the 14 new faces as one of the most inexperienced touring parties in French rugby history arrived.
It was an assignment coach Bernard Laporte confirmed his union would have preferred to skip.
The Federation Francais de Rugby (FFR) attempted to pay its New Zealand counterparts compensation in lieu of a two-test series diluted by the absence of the vast majority of Laporte's likely World Cup squad.
French club rugby currently takes precedence, with the semifinals of the Top 14 being contested this weekend -- a fixture clash which has denied Laporte the services of the cream of his crop.
Instead a quartet of experienced veterans -- one who hasn't played a test since 2003 and another who has just retired from club rugby -- have been tasked with guiding a cast of promising unknowns.
To make matters worse for Laporte, he was able to finalise his squad only on Sunday, hours before the team departed so they will only have three days to prepare.
Laporte, who watched his top team lose by a combined 70-14 in two home tests against the All Blacks last November, shrugged when asked if this was his most daunting coaching assignment.
"We did not want to come, but we must come," he said, suggesting the fruits of the tour may be apparent when New Zealand host the World Cup in 2011.
"We have a lot of new players, for us it will be interesting for the next World Cup."
Loose forwards Damien Chouly and Fulgence Ouedraogo plus centre Arnaud Mignardi are members of the reigning under-21 world champions though the likes of Olivier Magne and Sebastien Chabal are expected to contest the breakdown at Eden Park on Saturday night.
Laporte is also able to call on current captain and hooker Raphael Ibanez, fresh from a Heineken Cup victory with Wasps, and former Blues prop Christian Califano.
Ibanez, Magne and Califano boast 245 caps between them while in the backs utility Thomas Castignede, who announced his retirement after completing his final season with Saracens, hopes to add to his 52, followed by a Cup swansong on home turf in October.
Laporte said the door was not closed on a couple of veterans although he conceded "95 per cent" of his Cup squad were back home.
Ibanez, who led France to the Six Nations crown, admitted his 89th test loomed as one of the toughest of his illustrious career.
"It's going to be complicated to gel together with such a new group of players," he said.
"Arriving (Tuesday) and playing Saturday night is a big challenge for us but hopefully with a few training sessions we should be OK."
France start their belated training regime tomorrow.
- NZPA