Fabien Galthié has reshaped his team for the second test of France’s tour of New Zealand, scheduled for Saturday in Wellington (9am, French time). The France head coach has made ten changes to his selection compared with the side who shook the All Blacks in the first test in Dunedin (31-27). A younger line-up and, as a consequence, a less experienced one at international level.
The most-capped Frenchman to start on Saturday will therefore be La Rochelle-bound Nolann Le Garrec, who has “only” 11 caps. That is one more than hooker Gaëtan Barlot, one of the 5 men retained, who inherits the captaincy in the absence of Gaël Fickou. All the other starters chosen by Galthié for this second summer date on Maori soil have fewer than 10 caps, and four of them will experience their first outing in the France jersey (Erdocio, Brennan, Halagahu and Bochaton).
Taofifenua, by far the most-capped of the 23
The bench, for its part, is more experienced. On his own, Racing 92 lock Romain Taofifenua has almost as many caps (55) as all the starters combined (63) and will act as the big brother on this team sheet. His club team-mate Cameron Woki (30 caps) and La Rochelle’s Pierre Bourgarit (15 caps) complete the podium of France’s most-capped players for this test in Wellington, against a New Zealand squad that, this time, is particularly well stocked in terms of experience.
The France line-up: Barré – Attissogbe, Depoortere, Barassi, Gailleton – (fh) Segonds, (sh) Le Garrec – Van Tonder, Abadie, Bochaton – Halagahu, J. Brennan – Colombe, Barlot (capt.), Erdocio.
Replacements: Mallez, Bourgarit, Montagne, Taofifénua, Woki, Vergnes-Taillefer, Daubagna, Hastoy.
The All Blacks line-up : Jordan – Ioane, Proctor, J. Barrett, Clarke – B. Barrett (fh), Roigard (sh) – Lio-Willie, Savea (capt.), Vaa’i – Holland, Tuipulotu – Newell, Taylor, de Groot.
Replacements: Taukei’Aho, Norris, Tosi, Finau, Kirifi, Ratima, Tavatavanawai, McKenzie.
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