France XV: already three forfeits for the 3rd and final test match against the All Blacks
The French team's staff has announced the absences of Barassi, Woki and Montagne for the final test match against New Zealand on Saturday.
The infirmary is filling up. Center Pierre-Louis Barassi, flanker Cameron Woki, and prop Régis Montagne are out of the France XV's third and final test match against New Zealand on Saturday in Hamilton, the Blues' coaching staff announced Tuesday.
Barassi, one of the five Top 14 finalists authorized to tour New Zealand and a starter in the second match, a resounding 43-17 loss last Saturday in Wellington, has a calf injury, forwards coach William Servat said on the sidelines of training session open to the press on Tuesday. Wellington substitutes Cameron Woki (knee) and Régis Montagne (ankle) are also out as a result of the second match.
Skip the ad"These aren't very serious injuries. And if we were playing in a final of a competition, these would be players who would be eligible. But today, there's no question of taking risks with the squad," Servat confided.
In addition to these three players, fly-half Joris Segonds and Romain Taofifenua were rested, as was second-row Théo William, who has been out with a calf injury since the start of the tour. Third-row players Killian Tixeront and Bastien Vergnes-Taillefer, expected to be on the bench on Saturday, cut short their training after picking up knocks.
For this third match, the coaching staff is expected to mix up the teams between Dunedin and Wellington. Gaël Fickou would return to the centre, partnering Nicolas Depoortère, Mickaël Guillard would return to the centre of the third row and Rabah Slimani as a right prop. Nolann Le Garrec would move to scrum-half, the only player besides Théo Attissogbe to have started all three matches, but with Antoine Hastoy at his side. Toulouse's Joshua Brennan would be repositioned from the second to the third row.
Probable squad for the French XV for the third match against New Zealand, Saturday (09:05 GMT+2) in Hamilton:
Barré - Attissogbe, Depoortère, Fickou (cap.), Villière - (o) Hastoy, (m) Le Garrec - Brennan, Guillard, Fischer - Halagahu, Auradou - Slimani, Bourgarit, Erdocio
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