5 Top 14 finalists added to France squad for All Blacks series

Five players with nine caps between them have been added to France’s squad for the upcoming Test series with New Zealand, the French Rugby Federation has announced.

Toulouse centre Pierre-Louis Barassi and Bordeaux-Begles midfielder Nicolas Depoortere, who have won seven and two caps respectively, are expected to join the set-up on Wednesday, having featured in Saturday’s French Top 14 Final, which Toulouse won in extra-time 39-33.

Both centres, Barassi started every game in this year’s Six Nations except the Scotland match, which he missed, while Depoortere last appeared for Les Bleus in the 2024 Championship.

The pair will be joined by an uncapped trio comprising Barassi’s club teammate Josh Brennan, as well as Depoortere’s fellow Bordeaux-Begles squad members in loose forwards Pierre Bochaton and Bastien Vergnes-Taillefer, who also are yet to make their Test debuts.

Stade Francais full-back Leo Barre is expected to travel with the five, having stayed in France to recover from a dead leg after being named in the original squad.

Les Bleus head coach Fabien Galthie has named a second-string squad for the three Tests against the All Blacks, deciding to rest key players such as No.8 Gregory Alldritt and full-back Thomas Ramos, while regular captain Antoine Dupont and half-back partner Romain Ntamack are injured.

Barassi, Depoortere, Brennan, Bochaton and Vergnes-Taillefer won’t feature in the first Test this Saturday but will be in the mix for selection for the second and third Tests, in Wellington on 12 July and in Hamilton on 19 July.