France squad to tour New Zealand and Australia

20th May 2009, 8:15 WST




Leicester scrum half Julien Dupuy was called up by France for the first time Tuesday as ’Les Bleus’ prepare for a three-Test tour in New Zealand and Australia.


France play two Tests against the All Blacks in Dunedin on June 13 and Wellington on June 20 and one Test against the Wallabies in Sydney on June 27.

Dupuy, 25, is the newest addition to Marc Lievremont’s squad and should arrive brimming with confidence after helping his club to the English Premier League title last weekend.

The former Biarritz player, who won two French titles with the south-west club, will also play in the European Cup final with Leicester when they face Irish province Leinster.

Lievremont, who was told in no uncertain terms by federation bosses on Monday that they expect France to win on their travels, has also called up a handful of players who were out either injured or off form.

Toulouse wing Vincent Clerc returns to the squad after more than a year on the sidelines due to a serious knee injury sustained in April 2008.

Also returning from a long absence is Stade Francais second row Pascal Pape, who was out injured from June 2008 to February 2009.

Fly half David Skrela, who was not called up for the Six Nations championship, will travel with France as will utility back Alexis Palisson who plays for Brive.

Clermont winger Aurelien Rougerie, who has not pulled on a France shirt since March 2008, also returns while Perpignan hooker Guilhem Guirado will get a chance for a second cap following his first game for France against Italy in March.

Missing out on the trip will be Clermont winger Julien Malzieu, hooker Benjamin Kayser and prop Lionel Faure.

Lievremont hasn’t had a chance to work with the France squad since the day after France beat Italy in their final Six Nations match, which left them a disappointing third in the tournament, on March 23.

A first group of French players will leave for New Zealand after the Top 14 championship semi-finals on June 2 while a second will leave on June 7, a day after the Top 14 final.

Forwards: Fabien Barcella, Thomas Domingo, Dimitri Szarzewski, Guilhem Guirado, William Servat, Sylvain Marconnet, Nicolas Mas, Lionel Nallet , Sebastien Chabal, Romain Millo-Chluski (Stade Toulousain), Pascal Pape , Louis Picamoles, Imanol Harinordoquy, Julien Bonnaire, Fulgence Ouedraogo, Thierry Dusautoir

Backs: Morgan Parra, Julien Dupuy, David Skrela, Franois Trinh-Duc, Maxime Mermoz, Yannick Jauzion, Florian Fritz, Mathieu Bastareaud, Alexis Palisson, Damien Traille, Aurelien Rougerie, Cedric Heymans, Vincent Clerc , Maxime Medard.

MARCOUSSIS
AAP

http://www.thewest.com.au/default.as...ntentID=142862

Well it depends on what sort of frog team turns up on the day,isnt it. When they are are the money anything can happen. About time we get a decent effor against us and them.