Galthié sends rookies to face battle-hardened All Blacks

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: French coach Fabien Galthié is relying on a team of rookies to upset New Zealand in the first face-off of a three-Test series in Dunedin on Saturday.

Galthié has made four changes from the team that beat England in a pre-tour warm-up match.

It includes eight debutants for the encounter with the All Blacks.

Captain Gael Fickou, No.8 Mickael Guillard and scrumhalf Nolann Le Garrec are the only players included from the 23 that beat Scotland to win the Six Nations in March.

Fickou – the most experienced player in France’s squad, with 94 caps – started their 30-29 win over the All Blacks in Paris in November, as did left wing Gabin Villière, though he was on the right on that occasion.

Guillard and Le Garrec were on the bench that day.

Galthié says his Six Nations champions are approaching this match with ambition and confidence.

Since the start of the 2024 year-end Tests, they have won seven of their eight matches.

Their only defeat was a narrow one-point loss to England.

This trip to New Zealand represents a major step in the build-up to the 2027 World Cup and a fantastic opportunity to face the demands of the very highest level.

Historically, France has only beaten New Zealand once at home since the start of the professional era (27-22 in 2009), but recent momentum has been positive.

Les Bleus have won three straight matches against the All Blacks.

A fourth consecutive victory would be unprecedented in the history of the French game.

France: 15 Theo Attissogbe, 14 Tom Spring, 13 Emilien Gailleton, 12 Gael Fickou (captain), 11 Gabin Villière, 10 Joris Segonds, 9 Nolann Le Garrec, 8 Mickael Guillard, 7 Killian Tixeront, 6 Alexandre Fischer, 5 Tyler Duguid, 4 Hugo Auradou, 3 Rabah Slimani, 2 Gaetan Barlot, 1 Giorgi Beria.
Replacements: 16 Pierre Bourgarit, 17 Paul Mallez, 18 Regis Montagne, 19 Romain Taofifenua, 20 Cameron Woki, 21 Jacobus van Tonder, 22 Baptiste Jauneau, 23 Antoine Hastoy.

Date: Saturday, July 5
Venue: Otago Stadium, Dunedin
Kick-off: 19.05 (09.05 French time; 07.05 GMT)
Referee: Nic Berry (Australia)
Assistant referees: Christophe Ridley (England), Takehito Namekawa (Japan)
TMO: Damon Murphy (Australia)