We have no choice France coach defends weakened squad for NZ tour

PARIS – France coach Fabien Galthie has defended sending a weakened squad to face the All Blacks in three tests in July, saying the workload for French players was much greater than for those who play in New Zealand.

He has named a squad of 28 for an A international against England at Twickenham on June 21 and will add more players from the teams that lose the domestic Top 14 semi-finals this weekend.

The squad will be completed with the addition of a maximum of five players from the two Top 14 finalists after the French championship is decided on June 28, although they will be unavailable for the first test against the All Blacks in Dunedin on July 5.

“I am aware of their schedule,” Galthie said at France’s training centre Marcoussis on June 17.

“They began their domestic season in February and are now wrapping it up, averaging eight matches. And they are entering a period that is exclusively dedicated to the national team.

“We just have to explain the constraints that come with our schedule.

“We have no other option. I think it’s quite clear. Otherwise, the New Zealanders need to help us reinvent our national schedule. That’s part of the specifics of each country.”

New Zealand’s five top teams play 14 matches plus playoffs in the Super Rugby Pacific season, although there are mandated rest weeks for the top All Blacks to manage their workload.

By contrast, the Top 14 season started last September and French test players have also played European tournaments, November internationals and the Six Nations over that period.

Galthie said the France coaching staff had become past masters at preparing their squads for tests in a very short timeframe.

“It’s our daily bread,” he added. “This is how we have been