France has announced its 23-man squad to face the All Blacks at One New Zealand Stadium in Christchurch, featuring a significant contingent of players from Bordeaux-Bègles. Head coach Fabien Galthie‘s selection includes eight players from the club in the starting XV, a decision influenced by the unavailability of players from French champions Toulouse and fellow finalists Montpellier due to club commitments.
Among the Bordeaux-Bègles players named are hooker Maxime Lamothe, prop Jefferson Poirot, and back-row forwards Pierre Bochaton and Marko Gazzotti. The half-back pairing will see Maxime Lucu captaining the side at scrum-half alongside clubmate Matthieu Jalibert at fly-half. Centre Yoram Moefana and wing Damian Penaud, also from Bordeaux-Bègles, complete the strong club representation.
Lucu’s captaincy and Penaud’s return
The decision to name Maxime Lucu as captain is seen by some as a symbolic move. With Antoine Dupont unavailable, Lucu, who has been in strong form for Bordeaux-Bègles this season, appears to be a key figure going forward. He led his club to a second consecutive Investec Champions Cup title in May, where he was named Player of the Match in the final against Leinster. His partnership with Matthieu Jalibert is expected to transition well into the national team.
Damian Penaud, France‘s record try-scorer with 40 tries, makes a return to the squad after being omitted from the Six Nations squad. His absence was reportedly due to defensive issues, but his game seems to have evolved, with a more complete and calmer approach. His move to the 13 position has also added a new dynamic to his play. Galthie‘s decision to bring him back into the starting side suggests a belief that his refined game could be potent for France.
Tactical shifts and attacking focus
Galthie‘s selection also indicates a potential shift in tactical approach. The team has opted for a 5:3 split on the bench, featuring a traditional deployment of a scrum-half, a fly-half, and an outside back. This contrasts with previous strategies that sometimes favoured a more forward-heavy bench, such as a 7:1 or 6:2 split. This change suggests France might be looking to play a more expansive style later in the game, moving away from solely relying on physicality up front.
The backline itself is constructed for attacking play, with Penaud, Max Spring, and Théo Attissogbé forming an exciting back-three focused on speed and exploiting broken play. Attissogbé and Spring‘s ability to interchange between wing and full-back positions offers flexibility in attack. The centre pairing of Fabien Brau-Boirie and Yoram Moefana provides two game-breakers in midfield, complementing Jalibert‘s running game with strong ball-carrying options.
Despite some suggestions that this might be a rotated or ‘B-team’ selection, particularly with Top 14 finalists unavailable, the squad is considered strong. Several players, including Moefana, Jalibert, Lucu, Attissogbé, Oscar Jégou, Régis Montagne, and Mickaël Guillard, played significant roles in the Six Nations. Additionally, Penaud and Nolann le Garrec have previously won silverware with Les Bleus. The match against the All Blacks is scheduled for Saturday, July 4, with a kick-off time of 19:10 local time.
