Autumn Internationals - French Madness Strikes Again

France are in talks to play New Zealand twice and South Africa once in a period of sevens days, during the 2017 Autumn Internationals. 

Nov 11: France v NZ
Nov 14: France v NZ
Nov 18: France v SA

Could be quite draining for the enigma that is the French International Rugby side!

Fluxy wrote:France are in talks to play New Zealand twice and South Africa once in a period of sevens days, during the 2017 Autumn Internationals. 

Nov 11: France v NZ
Nov 14: France v NZ
Nov 18: France v SA

Could be quite draining for the enigma that is the French International Rugby side!

That report's incorrect. NZ are in talks to play a French club side on Nov 14th, not France itself. France, like England, inquired about an out-of-window test match on Nov 4th, but NZ had already committed to playing the Barbarians that weekend

It's a club side on 14th Nov and you can probably put out a 2nd string against SA these days anyway.

The fund raising issue does keep rearing it's head. NZ and other unions are all keen to wring every drop of money out of the international teams, presumably this would become more important should the lions be disbanded as some call for. Hard to keep everyone happy/impossible.

Well, the French aren't part of the Lions so they gotta keep their own bank balances topped up.

Three games in 7 days even for the full International squad wouldn't have been so 'OOOH???' anyway. Surely they'd have been able to put a completely different side out midweek as the toughest of tough training assignments for lesser 2nd string players. Guaranteed loss perhaps but great training.

Why not use it for a second team like the Churchill Cup or 6 Nations B was? Restart the Saxons, Wolfhounds and Scotland A.

Have a Autumn tour for NZ A, SA A, Arg A, Japan A and Aus A who play midweek against European sides and in the summer the NH bring A sides to face Super Rugby clubs