Le mémo de la 5e journée de Pro D2

Once you remove the scheduling issue - it becomes purely about player welfare and that’s the French unions issue to deal with. The whole idea of becoming the best team is moot if you cede all your national power to a club competition.

In reality it's best players are always going to be picked for the Allblacks as they're eligible kiwis. That's never going to change so the best thing to do is stop the pretence and make the team just another NZ super franchise that isn't ethnically based to allow talent equal access to professional contracts regardless of their ethnicity.

Commentaries claiming players from this team need to be ignored by the Allblacks selectors are of course advocating for the ridiculous situation that NZ becomes the only rugby country that overlooks players born and living in that country with that countries citizenship.

France had over 50 players play test rugby in 2024 so there will be no shortage of capped players to choose from as France has 3 test quality players at every forward position and in the midfield and outside backs.

It is only 9 and 10 where France may lack test quality depth. Antione Dupont, who is the only French player who is clearly the best at his position, is unavailable to tour regardless.

Galthie would love nothing better than to head south with a full squad at his disposal but the issue here is the French league set up, it’s duration and the contractual power of the club owners, via the LNR. They have the final say on player availability and since they also fund the clubs and player wages, it’s their call to make. Again, this won’t be news to NZR.

So really, if there are questions to be answered here, they need to be pointed as much at NZR as anyone else.