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France name depleted team

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France coach Bernard Laporte has named 10 new caps in a 22-man squad to face New Zealand in Auckland on Saturday.

France coach Bernard Laporte has named 10 new caps in a 22-man squad to face New Zealand in Auckland on Saturday.

Scrum-half Nicolas Durand, winger Benjamin Thiery, centre Arnaud Mignardi, flanker Gregory Le Corvec and lock Julien Pierre are all set to start.

Veteran hooker Raphael Ibanez and utility back Ludovic Valbon are the only capped players on the bench.

Full-back Thomas Castaignede, number eight Sebastien Chabal, flanker Olivier Magne and prop Christian Califano add experience to the depleted France side.

Ibanez, who led France to the Six Nations crown in February, has 88 caps and is likely to feature off the bench after Sebastien Bruno was named to start.

France squad: Thomas Castaignede; Julien Laharrague, Arnaud Mignardi, Jean Phillipe Grandclaude, Benjamin Thiery; Benjamin Boyet, Nicolas Durand; Christian Califano, Sebastien Bruno, Nicolas Mas, Pascal Pape (captain), Julien Pierre, Gregory Le Corvec, Sebastien Chabal, Olivier Magne.

Replacements: Raphael Ibanez, Franck Montanella, Olivier Olibeau, Damien Chouly, Mikael Forrest, Nicolas Laharrague, Ludovic Valbon.