Galthie names 19 uncapped players for French tour

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: France coach Fabian Galthie named 19 uncapped players in his initial squad for the mid-year tour to South America.

The list includes many from the France team that won the Under-20 World Cup last year, including Pau’s 19-year-old wing Theo Attissogbe and Montpellier’s 20-year-old flank, and occasional captain this season, Lenni Nouchi.

Galthie also named Munster centre Antoine Frisch, who has played for Emerging Ireland and was being courted by the Irish for the full national set-up, and prop forward Regis Montagne from ProD2 side Grenoble.

Scrumhalf Baptiste Serin, whose Toulon side were beaten by La Rochelle on Saturday, is by some way the most experienced player on the list with 44 international caps.

There is room also for his Toulon teammate Melvyn Jaminet, Montpellier centre Arthur Vincent, Lyon scrumhalf Baptiste Couilloud and prop Demba Bamba, each of whom has significant Test experience.

No players from Toulouse, La Rochelle, Stade Francais and Bordeaux-Begles have been selected as they are still in Top 14 contention but Galthie will add another 10 players on Sunday after the semifinals are settled.

France will play two Test against Argentina on July 6 and 13 with a Test against Uruguay sandwiched between them on July 10.

French squad

Forwards: Hugo Auradou, Demba Bamba, Gaetan Barlot, Teddy Baubigny, Giorgi Beria, Ibrahim Diallo, Jean-Baptiste Gros, Mickael Guillard, Jordan Joseph, Thomas Laclayat, Regis Montagne, Lenni Nouchi, Matis Perchaud, Yann Peysson, Janick Tarrit, Tevita Tatafu, Killian Tixeront, Posolo Tuilagi, Florent Vanverberghe.

Backs: Theo Attissogbe, Leo Berdeu, Louis Carbonel, Baptiste Couilloud, Leon Darricarrere, Antoine Frisch, Emilien Gailleton, Nathanael Hulleu, Melvyn Jaminet, Baptiste Jauneau, Joris Jurand, Baptiste Serin, Arthur Vincent.