French injury worries mount ahead of first All Blacks Test
UPDATE: France, already severely depleted, suffered further setbacks ahead of their three-Test series against New Zealand.
Fullback Cheikh Tiberghien and wing Gabin Villiere are injury worries for France days away from their first Test with New Zealand in Dunedin.
Both were expected to be named by Fabien Galthie in the starting line-up for the first of three Tests on Saturday.
Villiere, one of the more experienced players in a squad lacking many of the stalwarts of the Six Nations Grand Slam winning side, sat out training after feeling pain in the warm-up.
Tiberghien limped off during the training session with a right thigh problem and had it strapped.
His Bayonne club mate Tom Spring, who can play either fullback or wing, sat out the training session.
The issues add to Galthie’s selection problems. Leo Barre has yet to join the squad as he recovers from the injury that ruled him out of the tour warm-up match with England.
“There were some problems during training but we have yet to hear back from the medical staff,” said assistant coach Laurent Sempere.
To make up for the absences of Villiere, Tiberghien and Spring, Galthie slotted in Theo Attissogbe at fullback and Emilien Gailleton and Alivereti Duguivalu on the wings.
The squad will be strengthened for the second and third Tests — in Wellington on July 12 and Hamilton a week later — by five members of the two Top 14 finalists, Toulouse and Bordeaux-Begles.
They will be named when the results of fitness tests performed after Saturday’s final are known.
Toulouse retained their title after beating Champions Cup winners Bordeaux-Begles 39-33.
