French coach Fabien Galthie will have his head in his hands after more injuries rocked his squad ahead of the third and final Test against the All Blacks in Hamilton.
Flanker Cameron Woki, centre Pierre-Louis Barassi, and prop Regis Montagne have been ruled out.
Back-row bruiser Woki had impressed off the bench in the first two Tests and was pushing hard for a start, but a knock to the knee late in the Wellington loss has ended his tour. Barassi, who was a standout in midfield, is sidelined with a calf injury – robbing France of a reliable option outside skipper Gael Fickou.
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The third casualty is tighthead prop Montagne, one of France’s best performers in Wellington and voted their player of the match by the coaching staff. He’s battling an ankle issue.
Forwards coach William Servat was philosophical in his explanation saying, “These are minor injuries, nothing serious. If this was a final, they’d all be available. But we won’t take any risks.”
With three Tests in as many weeks, and a physically brutal series against the All Blacks, France’s depth will be tested to the limit in Hamilton.
Kick-off for Saturday’s final Test is at 9.05 SA time.
Photo: Sylvain Thomas/AFP
