Guy Novès is excited to see the depth in French rugby after naming a squad of 31 players for the November Tests along with a further 14 players in a secondary group to take on New Zealand.
Les Bleus, who finished third in this year’s Six Nations, will take on the All Blacks twice, once on Saturday November 5 in Paris, and then the following Tuesday in Lyon.
They will then face South Africa and Japan, while the French Barbarians, which is now to be used as a development tool for young French players, will face the Maori All Blacks in Bordeaux.
Novès has called up nine uncapped players in his initial 31, with Clermont pair Judicaël Cancoriet, Raphaël Chaume, La Rochelle duo Geoffrey Doumayrou and Gabriel Lacroix, Toulon’s Anthony Belleau, Stade Français lock Paul Gabrillagues, Castres’ Anthony Jelonch, Lyon’s Félix Lambey and Bordeaux’s Marco Tauleigne.
As well as those uncapped players, there are also recalls for Mathieu Bastareaud and Fulgence Ouedraogo for the first time since the 2015 World Cup, while Guilhem Guirado captains the team once again.
Novès explained: “The good thing about having these two games so close together is that we will be able to see the depth of French rugby, whether it’s with the youngsters for the Baabaas game on the Friday or the two games against New Zealand.
“We will see in three games, almost 70 players. The aim was to see the most possible players to be able to evaluate for the future.”
A further four uncapped players are included among the 14 extra players, Malik Hamadache, Yann Lesgourgues, Sekou Macalou and Dany Priso. GROUPE FRANCE BASTAREAUD Mathieu (RC Toulon) BELLEAU Anthony (RC Toulon) CANCORIET Judicaël (ASM Clermont Auvergne) CHAUME Raphaël (ASM Clermont Auvergne) DOUMAYROU Geoffrey (Stade Rochelais) DUCUING Nans (Union Bordeaux Bègles) DUPONT Antoine (Stade Toulousain) GABRILLAGUES Paul (Stade Français Paris) GOURDON Kevin (Stade Rochelais) GUILLAMON Antoine (Montpellier RC) GUIRADO Guilhem (RC Toulon) (Capitaine) HUGET Yoann (Stade Toulousain) JELONCH Anthony (Castres Olympique) KOTZE Daniel (Castres Olympique) LACROIX Gabriel (Stade Rochelais) LAMBEY Felix (Lyon OU) LAMERAT Rémi (ASM Clermont Auvergne) MAYNADIER Clément (Union Bordeaux Bègles) OUEDRAOGO Fulgence (Montpellier RC) PENAUD Damian (ASM Clermont Auvergne) PICAMOLES Louis (Montpellier RC) POIROT Jefferson (Union Bordeaux Bègles) SERIN Baptiste (Union Bordeaux Bègles) SLIMANI Rabah (ASM Clermont Auvergne) SPEDDING Scott (ASM Clermont Auvergne) TAOFIFENUA Romain (RC Toulon) TAULEIGNE Marco (Union Bordeaux Bègles) THOMAS Teddy (Racing 92) TOLOFUA Christopher (Saracens RFC) TRINH-DUC François (RC Toulon) VAHAAMAHINA Sébastien (ASM Clermont Auvergne) VAKATAWA Virimi (Racing 92) Additional players who will prepare for the second game against New Zealand BONNEVAL Hugo (RC Toulon) CHAT Camille (Racing 92) CHAVANCY Henry (Racing 92) FICKOU Gaël (Stade Toulousain) HAMADACHE Malik (Section Paloise) JEDRASIAK Paul (ASM Clermont Auvergne) LE ROUX Bernard (Racing 92) LESGOURGUES Yann (Union Bordeaux Bègles) MACALOU Sekou (Stade Français Paris) MACHENAUD Maxime (Racing 92) MAESTRI Yoann (Stade Toulousain) PLISSON Jules (Stade Français Paris) POINTUD Lucas (Stade Toulousain) PRISO Dany (Stade Rochelais)
