Nine players added to France squad for Nations Championship

PARIS, June 28 : France have added nine players to their squad for the Nations Championship, including captain Antoine Dupont, but they will not be considered for next weekend’s first test against New Zealand, the French rugby federation said on Sunday.

The additional players come from the ranks of Toulouse and Montpellier, who contested Saturday’s Top 14 final at the Stade de France.

Dupont was part of Toulouse’s 28-20 win and is joined on the tour by halfback partner Romain Ntamack, who missed the Six Nations earlier this year due to injury.

Hooker Peato Mauvaka, who scored two tries in Saturday’s French championship decider, centre Kalvin Gourgues, and locks Emmanuel Meafou and Alexandre Roumat round out the Toulouse contingent, while there are three players from Montpellier’s side, with forwards Florian Verhaeghe and Lenni Nouchi and centre Auguste Cadot set to travel to Australia on Tuesday.

France take on New Zealand in Christchurch on Saturday, followed by Australia in Brisbane on July 11 and then Japan in Tokyo on July 18 in their opening three Nations Championship fixtures.

Squad:

Backs: Theo Attissogbe, Fabien Brau-Boirie (both Pau), Auguste Cadot (Montpellier), Nicolas Depoortere (Bordeaux-Begles), Mathis Ferte (Toulon), Theo Forner (Perpignan), Emilien Gailleton (Pau), Kalvin Gourgues (Toulouse), Aaron Grandidier-Nkanang (⁠Pau), Antoine Hastoy (La Rochelle), Matthieu Jalibert (Bordeaux-Begles), Nolann Le Garrec (La Rochelle), Maxime Lucu, Yoram Moefana (both Bordeaux-Begles), Romain Ntamack (Toulouse), Damian Penaud (Bordeaux-Begles), Max Spring (Racing 92)

Forwards: Moses Alo-Emile (Stade Francais), Hugo Auradou (Pau), Demba Bamba (Racing 92), Pierre Bochaton (Bordeaux-Begles), Esteban Capilla (Bayonne), Sipili