XV de France: 6 Blues cut to make way for Dupont, Ntamack and other Toulousains

France's national rugby team, XV de France, has finalized its squad of 33 players who will embark on their tour of Australia. Coach Fabien Galthié announced the selection after an initial ten-day training camp, during which six players were cut from the extended list.

The team initially comprised 39 players, a number now reduced to 33. The remaining nine positions on the roster will be reserved for the finalists of the Top 14 championship, who are expected to join the squad early next week in Brisbane. These additions will likely include several players from the Toulouse team, who are contractually exempt from the first match against New Zealand in Christchurch due to the championship final.

Notable changes include the removal of Clermont scrum-half Baptiste Jauneau and Castres fly-half Louis Le Brun to make way for the inclusion of Antoine Dupont and Romain Ntamack. This marks Dupont's first tour to Australia and Japan, having previously participated in only one other French tour in South Africa in 2017. Bayonne hooker Lucas Martin will also be replaced by a Toulouse player, potentially Peato Mauvaka over Julien Marchand.

The identities of the players filling the remaining spots, including those for winger Christian Ambadiang and props Loïs Guérois and Emerick Setiano, are still pending. However, Toulouse lock Emmanuel Meafou is reportedly a strong candidate. The inclusion of Usap winger Théo Forner, who has no XV caps but won an Olympic gold medal in Rugby Sevens in 2024, is considered the list's sole surprise.