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Fabien Galthie announces France squad to take on the All Blacks
By Josh Raisey
France head coach Fabien Galthie has named his 37-man squad that will take on the All Blacks next month in New Zealand.
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The squad is comprised of players who either did not feature or had their minutes limited during this year’s Guinness Six Nations due to a French policy.
In the absence of the injured Antoine Dupont and the rested Gregory Alldritt, Racing 92 centre Gael Fickou will captain the squad.
With the Top 14 final to be played on Saturday between Toulouse and Bordeaux-Begles, Galthie will be allowed to extend his squad to 42 players. However, the players selected from the finalists must not have played excessively in the 2024/25 season.
Fickou will be joined in the squad by his club-mate Cameron Woki, who has been cleared to play following a red card against England XV at the weekend.
France squad
Forwards (Club/ former club)
Esteban Abadie (RC Toulon / Racing Club De France)
Hugo Auradou (Pau / CA Sarladais Périgord Noir)
Demba Bamba (Racing 92 / Saint Denis US)
Gaëtan Barlot (Castres Olympique / AS Montferrandaise)
Giorgi Beria (USA Perpignan / Stade Aurillacois)
Pierre Bourgarit (La Rochelle / ES Gimontoise)
Georges-Henri Colombe (La Rochelle / Racing Nanterre Rugby)
Tyler Duguid (Montpellier HR / Edmonton Nor’westers Rugby Club)
Baptiste Erdocio (Montpellier HR / Bidard UC)
Alexandre Fischer (ASM Clermont / UC Issoirienne)
Mickaël Guillard (Lyon Rugby / RC Maurepas Élancourt)
Matthias Halagahu (RC Toulon / CA St Raphaël Fréjus)
Paul Mallez (Provence Rugby / RCPA Mousson)
Guillaume Marchand (Lyon Rugby / US Montréjeau)
Régis Montagne (ASM Clermont / FC Grenoble)
Rabah Slimani (Leinster Rugby / Aas Sarcelles)
Romain Taofifenua (Racing 92 / Al Echirolles)
Killian Tixeront (ASM Clermont / US Martres De Veyre)
Jacobus Van Tonder (USA Perpignan / Free State Cheetah)
Théo William (Lyon Rugby / CS Bourgoin-Jallieu)
Cameron Woki (Racing 92 / AC Bobigny)
Backs
Théo Attissogbe (Pau / Peyrehorade Sports Rugby)
Léo Barré (Stade Français / RC Versailles)
Léo Berdeu (Lyon Rugby / OL Grasse)
Léon Darricarrère (ASM Clermont / La Rochelle)
Thibault Daubagna (Pau / Pau)
Alivereti Duguivalu (USA Perpignan / Nadroga)
Gaël Fickou (c) (Racing 92 / US Seynoise)
Émilien Gailleton (Pau / Cahors Rugby Saint Cadurcien)
Antoine Hastoy (La Rochelle / RC Billere Asptt Lescar)
Baptiste Jauneau (ASM Clermont / AS Buzy Ogeu)
Nolann Le Garrec (Racing 92 / RC Vannes)
Théo Millet (Lyon Rugby / Boitsfort Rugby Club)
Joris Segonds (Bayonne / SG C Decazevillois)
Tom Spring (Bayonne / US Nafarroa)
Cheikh Tiberghien (Bayonne / Bayonne)
Gabin Villière (RC Toulon / RC Du Bocage Virois)
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No difference, you didn’t have a clue even when you could remember…🤷♂️
Chief, I can’t even remember what the discussion was around now.
The French (especially Du Pont) are scared of the ABs in NZ . End of story. They had an opportunity to be the best team in the world but have missed the boat.
Actually they are scared of you in particular. I do remember Dupont saying “I’d rather have a massive knee injury than going to play the ABs in Nz because of what DH will say” :D
It is a little bit stink that we don’t get to see some of the worlds best here in NZ in the flesh understand the reasons why but still add on that Lions to me look like they testing the waters thru the media to change up tours kind of under the guise of quality of matches, French and Northern clubs more than happy to sign Anzac and pacific talent to prop up their teams depth, big names high profile players touring here makes for more money down under that helps keep the clubs and pathways generating talent that benefits us all I believe …dudes can play for whoever they like and get that cash money it’s all good but we hard out rely on international rugby to generate revenue and the health of Rugby here and across the ditch is relatively important to health of rugby up North with so many players in their teams coaches in their boxes, fair comment ?
Maybe I will suprise you, but if Anzac exile players should be éligible for National team, there will be less in Top14. Who needs a player who is absent from august to december so half of the season ?
Still hard to call it. Depends on the additional 5 from the weekends final.
Nah, not really.
Hope this is a good/best available team!
: "Shared my article on xenixnews.com and now it’s trending like crazy 😲🔥"
Some article, big Audrey!
You're the full article ♥️
I'm sorry, but besides Fickou it's hard to not see this as a 2nd string squad. There are just so many french internationals missing from the final. Can't really paint it any other way. Those superstars have played excessively so it's reserve players from those teams.
I don't see how they compete with the ABs in their own backyard with such players missing.
They will compete but they won't win a series. They are scared of Eden Park. Lol
Even without Toulouse/Bordeaux players, a competitive team could have been made.
But for some positions, it looks more like a 3rd string squad than 2nd tbh.
I was expecting Gros or Priso, Boudehent, Tuilagi, Jegou, Serin, Dréan, Baget, Jaminet..