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Galthie names Bordeaux-laden France side to tackle All Blacks

By AFP
Thursday 2 Jul 2026
Damien Penaud and Louis Bielle-Biarrey (Photo David Rogers/Getty Images)

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: France recalled their record try scorer, Damian Penaud, on Thursday for their Nations Championship clash with New Zealand in a starting side stacked with Bordeaux-Begles players.

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Players from French champions Toulouse and fellow finalists Montpellier were not available for Saturday’s clash, and head coach Fabien Galthie has opted for a Bordeaux-heavy side.

Eight Bordeaux-Begles players are in the matchday XV, including up front hooker Maxime Lamothe, prop Jefferson Poirot, and back row forwards Pierre Bochaton and Marko Gazzotti.

Their clubmate Maxime Lucu will captain the side at scrumhalf alongside Matthieu Jalibert at flyhalf, with Bordeaux-Begles centre Yoram Moefana and wing Penaud also selected.

Continues below…

Penaud is France’s leading try scorer with 40, but was left out of their Six Nations squad after being prone to what were seen as defensive blunders.

Fullback Max Spring, 25, will win his second cap and play against the country of his father Sean’s birth, just as his brother Tom, of Aviron Bayonnais, did a year ago during the 2025 tour of New Zealand.

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France lost that series 3-0, but again had left players at home because of club commitments.

France: 15 Max Spring, 14 Damian Penaud, 13 Fabien Brau-Boirie, 12 Yoram Moefana, 11 Theo Attissogbe, 10 Matthieu Jalibert, 9 Maxime Lucu (captain), 8 Marko Gazzotti, 7 Oscar Jegou, 6 Pierre Bochaton, 5 Tom Staniforth, 4 Hugo Auradou, 3 Demba Bamba, 2 Maxime Lamothe, 1 Jefferson Poirot.
Replacements: 16 Barnabe Massa, 17 Reda Wardi, 18 Regis Montagne, 19 Mickael Guillard, 20 Killian Tixeront, 21 Nolann Le Garrec, 22 Antoine Hastoy, 23 Nicolas Depoortere

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Date: Saturday, July 4
Venue: One New Zealand Stadium, Christchurch
Kick-off: 19.10 (09.10 CEST; 07.10 GMT)
Referee: Luke Pearce (England)
Assistant referees: Christophe Ridley (England), Katsuki Furuse (Japan)
TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa)

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