French squad

[pakman]

Uini Atonio, Mathieu Babillot, Cyril Baille, Mathieu Bastareaud, Anthony Belleau, Eddy Ben Arous, Hugo Bonneval, Pierre Bourgarit, Camille Chat, Geoffrey Doumayrou, Benjamin Fall, Gaël Fickou, Wesley Fofana, Paul Gabrillagues, Kélian Galletier, Cedate Gomes Sa, Kevin Gourdon, Rémy Grosso, Félix Lambey, Rémi Lamerat, Alexandre Lapandry, Bernard Le Roux, Yoann Maestri, Maxime Medard, Morgan Parra, Adrien Pelissie, Jules Plisson, Dany Priso, Fabien Sanconnie, Baptiste Serin, Rabah Slimani, Teddy Thomas

[Machpants]

I wonder how many of those are in the Top 14 final the weekend before?

[MN5]

I heard on the radio that fat boy Basteraud is captain.

Where is Picamoles?

[Snowy]

@mn5 Injury and surgery. No idea what for.

A completely useless link here:

Sport

Picamoles joins French injury absentees for NZ tour | Sport

Back row forward Louis Picamoles will miss France's tour to New Zealand in June because he needs an operation.

[Rapido]

I would like to have seen Damian Penaud.

[Machpants]

@mn5 said in French squad:

I heard on the radio that fat boy Basteraud is captain.

Where is Picamoles?

So the entire team will be on the lash, falling over and then lying to the police

[Stargazer]

@machpants said in French squad:

I wonder how many of those are in the Top 14 final the weekend before?

Montpellier plays Lyon, and Racing 92 plays Castres in the Top 14 semis; this picture gives info about the representation of clubs in the French squad.

[Wurzel]

Lyon vs Castres final would mean the French squad would only miss 2 players

[pakman]

According to this article sixteen players injured/suspended or rested: https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/international/104130820/onguard-all-blacks-shrug-off-talk-that-understrength-france-will-be-short-of-mark, which includes two of their most experienced 10s and an excellent scrum half (demi de melee!).

[Stargazer]

GROUPE BARBARIANS
ALDEGHERI Dorian (Stade Toulousain)
BALES Alexis (Stade Rochelais)
BATTLE Armand (Castres Olympique)
BETHUNE Quentin (SU Agen)
CAMARA Djibril (Stade Français Paris)
CANCORIET Judicaël (ASM Clermont Auvergne)
COUILLOUD Baptiste (Lyon OU)
CROS François (Stade Toulousain)
DOUSSAIN Jean-Marc (Stade Toulousain)
DUMORA Julien (Castres Olympique)
FOUYSSAC Pierre (SU Agen)
JOLMES Thomas (Stade Rochelais)
LESPIAUX-BRETTES Quentin (Section Paloise)
MARCHAND Julien (Stade Toulousain)
PENAUD Damian (ASM Clermont Auvergne)
PESENTI Baptiste (Section Paloise)
REBBADJ Swan (RC Toulon)
RETIERE Arthur (Stade Rochelais)
SETIANO Emerick (RC Toulon)
SOBELA Patrick (US Oyonnax)
TANGA MANGENE Yoan (SU Agen)
TAOFIFENUA Sébastien (Union Bordeaux-Bègles)
VERHAEGHE Florian (Stade Toulousain)

[pakman]

Amazing thing is how many players from the two French matches against ABs are not selected. As I mentioned above, heavy injury toll, but appears new coach decided some were not for him, and a few have been placed in French BaaBaa's instead.

Their actual best team would be pretty tasty!

[Rapido]

There was a very impressive young flanker in one of those games last November, Macalou ?

Is he injured?

[Stargazer]

The French squad training in North Harbour

[Stargazer]

Classy French centre Wesley Fofana will miss Saturday's first test at Eden Park, though the All Blacks remain on high alert for a team they're adamant is decidedly on the improve.

Fofana, the 44-cap Clermont midfielder, was tracking to make his return to Les Bleus on this tour, most likely alongside stand-in skipper Mathieu Bastareaud, after sitting out the Six Nations with a cervical disc herniation in his neck.

But Fofana will not be considered for the series opener after knee soreness prevented him training in Auckland on Monday and Tuesday.

France coach Jacques Brunel will name his side to face the All Blacks on Thursday morning, with the New Zealanders wary of an outfit they believe have turned a corner after their recent problems.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/international/104500196/wesley-fofana-reportedly-out-but-all-blacks-still-wary-of-improving-french

[antipodean]

@stargazer That's a big loss.

[Crucial]

@antipodean said in French squad:

@stargazer That's a big loss.

Bastareaud is bigger.