Six uncapped players named as France XV face England in Vannes warm-up

Fabien Galthié has named six uncapped players in a France XV squad to take on England XV on Friday at the Stade de la Rabine in Vannes, with the fixture serving as preparation for Les Bleus’ Nations Championship campaign in July.

Lyon lock Mickaël Guillard will captain the side, which includes ASM Clermont-Auvergne hooker Barnabé Massa and Pau fly-half Axel Desperes among the debutants in waiting.

The experimental nature of the squad is partly circumstantial. France are currently without players from Toulouse, Montpellier, Stade Français and Racing 92, all of whom are involved in the Top 14 semi-finals this weekend, leaving Galthié to cast his net wider than usual.

The July Nations Championship schedule sees France face New Zealand, Australia and Japan, making Friday’s fixture a valuable opportunity to assess fringe talent before the southern-hemisphere tour begins in earnest.