Trinh-Duc in French squad for Argentina tour

Trinh-Duc, who will move to Toulon next season, has been told he does not feature in Montpellier coach Jake White's Top 14 play-off plans, freeing up the playmaker for the June 19 and 25 internationals in Tucuman.

There will likely be a raft of players missing from the Tests – given that the Top 14 semifinals involving automatic qualifiers Clermont and Toulon are slated for June 19 and 20 and the Final for June 24.

Noves will add 11 more players after the Top 14 quarterfinals between Montpellier-Castres and Racing 92-Toulouse next weekend, the rugby federation said in a statement.

Noves took advantage of the scheduling snag to unveil seven uncapped players in his initial squad: No.8 Kevin Gourdon, scrumhalf Baptiste Serin, hooker Remi Bonfils, locks William Demotte and Julien Ledevedec, centre Julien Rey and wing Xavier Mignot.

Provisional France squad:

Forwards: Uini Atonio (La Rochelle), Jefferson Poirot (Bordeaux-Begles), Rabah Slimani (Stade Francais), Remi Bonfils (Stade Francais), William Demotte (Agen), Julien Ledevedec (Bordeaux-Begles), Loann Goujon (Bordeaux-Begles), Kevin Gourdon (La Rochelle), Raphael Lakafia (Stade Francais).

Backs: Baptiste Serin (Bordeaux-Begles), Jules Plisson (Stade Francais), Francois Trinh-Duc (Montpellier), Jonathan Danty (Stade Francais), Julien Rey (Bordeaux-Begles), Djibril Camara (Stade Francais), Xavier Mignot (Grenoble), Hugo Bonneval (Stade Francais).

Agence France-Presse