Les Bleues in Aotearoa: France's tour squad, both Test team lists, and the stars who stayed home

France have come to Aotearoa with a young, rebuilt squad, a first-time captain and a long list of names who stayed home. After an 81-12 loss in Hamilton, coach François Ratier made eight changes for today's second Test in Whangārei, and the series finishes in Christchurch on Saturday 31 October. Here is who France brought, both team lists for each Test, what changed, and where the rest of les Bleues are.

Why this France side looks so different

The 32-player squad was named on Tuesday 29 September, gathered at Marcoussis on 6 October and flew out the next day. Ratier framed the tour as a chance to build and widen the group on the road to the 2029 World Cup in Australia, and four of the 32 were uncapped when they were picked.

Two absences reshaped the leadership. Manaé Feleu, France's usual captain, is missing all six of France's autumn Tests because of her medical studies. Pauline Bourdon Sansus, the red-haired scrumhalf who captained France at Lyon in September and is the most capped player in the group with 78 Tests, stayed in France for family reasons, agreed with the staff, and remains on standby. That handed the captaincy to her usual understudy at No. 9, Alexandra Chambon of ASM Romagnat, who led France for the first time in Hamilton.

The tour follows a mixed spring of results. France lost 28-14 to the Black Ferns at Lyon on 12 September, then beat Australia 29-26 in Aix-en-Provence and Canada 21-5 (as reported in France). The Australia win cost them two forwards for the start of this tour: Cloé Correa and Ambre Mwayembe were both sent off and served suspensions, so they missed Hamilton.

The touring squad (32)

Forwards: Ylona Avril (Stade Toulousain), Amalia Bazola-Allières (Stade Toulousain), Axelle Berthoumieu (Stade Bordelais), Léa Champon (FC Grenoble Amazones), Khoudedia Cissokho, Cloé Correa (Stade Toulousain), Annaëlle Deshayes (Stade Bordelais), Julia Grosz (Blagnac), Assia Khalfaoui (Stade Bordelais), Marion Latonnelle (RC Toulon), Mathilde Lazarko (ASM Romagnat), Maïlys Mailagi (Stade Bordelais), Marie Morland (Montpellier), Ambre Mwayembe (Stade Toulousain), Elsa Peyras (Stade Bordelais), Élisa Riffonneau (FC Grenoble Amazones), Lou Roboam (Stade Toulousain), Mouna Touré (ASM Romagnat).

Backs: Carla Arbez (Stade Bordelais), Émilie Boulard (AC Bobigny 93), Morgane Bourgeois (Stade Bordelais), Alexandra Chambon (ASM Romagnat, captain), Teani Feleu (FC Grenoble Amazones), Élodie Fernandez (Stade Toulousain), Charlie Gauyat (Stade Toulousain), Anaïs Grando (ASM Romagnat), Marie Ibañez (Stade Bordelais), Léa Murie (Stade Toulousain), Lylou Pédussaud (Stade Toulousain), Lina Queyroi (Stade Toulousain), Aubane Rousset (Stade Bordelais), Gabrielle Vernier (Gloucester-Hartpury).

The most experienced tourists are Gabrielle Vernier (63 Tests at selection), Annaëlle Deshayes (60), Assia Khalfaoui (45), Chambon (44) and Émilie Boulard (43). Vernier is the only one based outside France, at Gloucester-Hartpury in England. Teani Feleu, Manaé's younger sister, is the family's representative on tour, at second five-eighth in both Tests. Three squad members have not yet made a matchday 23: Marie Morland, Maïlys Mailagi and Khoudedia Cissokho.

First Test: Hamilton, Saturday 17 October

Result: Black Ferns 81, France 12, at FMG Stadium Waikato. New Zealand scored 13 tries, four of them to Shyrah Tuliau-Tua'a on her first Test start. France's tries came from wing Léa Murie, just before the hour, and replacement Amalia Bazola-Allières at the end, with Morgane Bourgeois converting one.

France: 1 Annaëlle Deshayes, 2 Élisa Riffonneau, 3 Assia Khalfaoui, 4 Julia Grosz, 5 Ylona Avril, 6 Axelle Berthoumieu, 7 Léa Champon, 8 Mouna Touré, 9 Alexandra Chambon (captain), 10 Élodie Fernandez, 11 Léa Murie, 12 Teani Feleu, 13 Aubane Rousset, 14 Marie Ibañez, 15 Morgane Bourgeois. Bench: 16 Mathilde Lazarko, 17 Amalia Bazola-Allières, 18 Marion Latonnelle, 19 Lou Roboam, 20 Elsa Peyras, 21 Lylou Pédussaud, 22 Lina Queyroi, 23 Charlie Gauyat.

All four uncapped tourists played: lock Ylona Avril started, and Marion Latonnelle, Lylou Pédussaud and Charlie Gauyat came off the bench.

Black Ferns: 1 Chryss Viliko, 2 Georgia Ponsonby (co-captain), 3 Veisinia Mahutariki-Fakalelu, 4 Maiakawanakaulani Roos, 5 Maama Mo'onia Vaipulu, 6 Liana Mikaele-Tu'u, 7 Elinor-Plum King, 8 Kaipo Olsen-Baker, 9 Maia Joseph, 10 Hannah King, 11 Ayesha Leti-I'iga, 12 Sylvia Brunt, 13 Amy du Plessis, 14 Shyrah Tuliau-Tua'a, 15 Braxton Sorensen-McGee. Bench: 16 Vici-Rose Green, 17 Ngano Tavake, 18 Santo Taumata, 19 Laura Bayfield, 20 Layla Sae, 21 Tara Turner, 22 Ruahei Demant (co-captain), 23 Mererangi Paul.

Second Test: Whangārei, Saturday 24 October

Kick-off 3.05pm at Semenoff Stadium, the Black Ferns' 150th Test.

France: 1 Ambre Mwayembe, 2 Mathilde Lazarko, 3 Assia Khalfaoui, 4 Lou Roboam, 5 Cloé Correa, 6 Axelle Berthoumieu, 7 Mouna Touré, 8 Léa Champon, 9 Alexandra Chambon (captain), 10 Carla Arbez, 11 Anaïs Grando, 12 Teani Feleu, 13 Gabrielle Vernier, 14 Marie Ibañez, 15 Émilie Boulard. Bench: 16 Élisa Riffonneau, 17 Amalia Bazola-Allières, 18 Marion Latonnelle, 19 Julia Grosz, 20 Elsa Peyras, 21 Lylou Pédussaud, 22 Lina Queyroi, 23 Charlie Gauyat.

France's numbers follow the order of the federation's team sheet; Touré and Champon may have swapped the 7 and 8 jerseys from Hamilton.

Black Ferns: 1 Chryss Viliko, 2 Georgia Ponsonby, 3 Veisinia Mahutariki-Fakalelu, 4 Laura Bayfield, 5 Maama Mo'onia Vaipulu, 6 Liana Mikaele-Tu'u, 7 Layla Sae, 8 Kaipo Olsen-Baker, 9 Tara Turner, 10 Ruahei Demant (captain), 11 Shyrah Tuliau-Tua'a, 12 Sylvia Brunt, 13 Justine McGregor, 14 Mererangi Paul, 15 Braxton Sorensen-McGee. Bench: 16 Vici-Rose Green, 17 Maddison Robinson, 18 Santo Taumata, 19 Maiakawanakaulani Roos, 20 Amarante Sititi, 21 Maia Joseph, 22 Hannah King, 23 Ayesha Leti-I'iga.

What changed between the Tests

France: eight changes to the starting XV, two on the bench.

• Loosehead prop: Ambre Mwayembe in, back from suspension. Annaëlle Deshayes was ruled out.
• Hooker: Mathilde Lazarko promoted from the bench. Élisa Riffonneau drops to the bench.
• Locks: Lou Roboam (her first Test start) and Cloé Correa, back from suspension, replace Julia Grosz (to the bench) and debutant Ylona Avril (out of the 23).
• First five-eighth: Carla Arbez for Élodie Fernandez.
• Left wing: Anaïs Grando for try-scorer Léa Murie.
• Centre: Gabrielle Vernier, France's most capped tourist, for Aubane Rousset, who was ruled out.
• Fullback: Émilie Boulard for Morgane Bourgeois.
• Unchanged: Khalfaoui, Berthoumieu, Touré, Champon, Chambon, Teani Feleu and Ibañez start again. Bazola-Allières, Latonnelle, Peyras, Pédussaud, Queyroi and Gauyat stay on the bench.

Ratier insisted the rotation was planned rather than a reaction to Hamilton: "Ce n'est pas le résultat de samedi qui nous a fait changer", it was not Saturday's result that made us change (RugbyPass France).

Black Ferns: 13 changes to the matchday 23 as first named, then two late injuries.

• Into the XV: Laura Bayfield at lock, Layla Sae at openside, Tara Turner at halfback, Ruahei Demant at first five-eighth and as sole captain, and Mererangi Paul on the right wing, with Tuliau-Tua'a switching to the left.
• To the bench: Maiakawanakaulani Roos, Maia Joseph and Hannah King.
• Late changes: hooker Atlanta Lolohea (ankle, at Thursday training) and centre Amy du Plessis (delayed concussion) were ruled out. Justine McGregor moved into the 13 jersey, with Vici-Rose Green and Ayesha Leti-I'iga onto the bench. Pip Love and Holly Wratt-Groeneweg were called in as injury cover.

The France players not on tour, and still playing

• Pauline Bourdon Sansus (scrumhalf, Stade Toulousain): the red-haired No. 9, with 78 Tests. Stayed home for family reasons and is on standby.
• Manaé Feleu (lock, FC Grenoble Amazones): the usual captain, unavailable for the autumn Tests because of her medical studies. Her story, from Futuna to Hawke's Bay to the France captaincy, is on RUGBE News.
• Madoussou Fall-Raclot (lock, Stade Bordelais, 50 Tests): expecting a child.
• Charlotte Escudero (No. 8, Stade Toulousain), Yllana Brosseau (prop, Stade Bordelais) and Siobhan Soqeta (lock): did not travel for medical reasons. France's announcement said injuries ruled out at least two of the three.
• Pauline Barrat (fullback): injured since September.
• Joanna Grisez (wing) and Kiara Zago (lock): unavailable long-term. No reason has been published.
• Kelly Arbey, Chloé Jacquet and Lili Dezou: the three sevens players who played in Lyon in September, then went back to the France sevens programme.
• Hina Ikahehegi (lock, Stade Bordelais) and Rose Bernadou (prop, Montpellier): not selected, and no public reason given.

Several familiar names have retired rather than been left out. Romane Ménager ended her career in July 2026 at 29, after repeated concussions. Her twin Marine Ménager, France's co-captain at the 2025 World Cup, retired after that tournament. First five Caroline Drouin retired in August 2025 after knee injuries, and hooker Agathe Gérin (formerly Sochat) at the end of the 2025-26 season. Long-serving fullback Jessy Trémoulière retired in 2025.

What's next

The series ends at One NZ Stadium in Christchurch on Saturday 31 October, kick-off 7.10pm. New Zealand's first women's Under-21 team plays Australia NextGen in the curtain-raiser. The result from Whangārei, and the team lists for Christchurch, will follow on RUGBE News.