Top French players could feature against All Blacks as agreement with Top 14 reached
France could yet field some of their stars against the All Blacks after agreement was reached with the Top 14 to make several top players available.
Fabien Galthie 's Six Nations champions had been due to travel on the summer tour of New Zealand with a virtual second-string squad, as has become custom for the side over the last few years.
France face the All Blacks in a three Tests from 5 July in a series that begins just one week after the Top 14 final concludes the domestic season.
With the league possessing real heft in negotiations, it appeared that the play-offs and concern over player workload would leave Galthie to take mostly fringe figures on tour, yet the France boss has been given a boost.
While a 42-man squad will be mostly comprised of players who were little used or did not feature in the Six Nations, a maximum of five players from the two finalist clubs will be permitted to be included provided they have not had too much playing time across the campaign.
Jean-Marc Lhermet, vice-president of the French rugby federation (FFR), said: "This agreement perfectly illustrates the shared desire of the FFR and the LNR to combine sporting performance and player protection.
'By maintaining the balance between the demands of the calendars and the necessary management of players' playing time, we are giving the French team the means to prepare for this tour to New Zealand with ambition and serenity. This innovative system demonstrates our ability to work together, in the interest of French rugby and its players."
Toulouse currently top the Top 14 table with Investec Champions Cup winners Bordeaux-Begles in second. It is unlikely that wings Louis Bielle-Biarrey or Damian Penaud will be permitted to travel after featuring heavily this season, while Toulouse fly half Romain Ntamack is reportedly expected to undergo surgery on a knee injury.
Antoine Dupont remains sidelined after tearing his ACL during the Six Nations win over Ireland.
France took an inexperienced squad to Argentina and Uruguay last July, splitting their two-match series 1-1 with the Pumas. A France XV will also face an equivalent England selection at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham this summer, with a 28-player squad comprised of those not involved in the Top 14 semi-finals to feature in the fixture on Saturday 21 June.
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