The XV of France will play its three tests in Australia in ten days this summer

The French Rugby Federation formalized this Thursday the new dates for the summer tour of the XV of France in Australia with three matches against the Wallabies on July 7, 13 and 17. "After discussions and validation by the competent public authorities, the French Rugby Federation is delighted to be able to announce this summer tour of a series of three matches which promises to be of a very high level", explained the president of the FFR Bernard Laporte, quoted in a press release. The Australian Federation, financially drained, absolutely needs these matches to bail out its coffers a little. Tests that will be disputed in front of the public.

The Blues will fly to Australia for 3 games against the @wallabies!

The first matches against a Nation from the Southern Hemisphere since the last World Cup for our #XVdeFrance

Matches broadcast on @canalplus! # NeFaisonsXV # AUSFRApic.twitter.com / xIn2IGCp8S

- France Rugby (@FranceRugby) May 6, 2021

The matches, initially scheduled for Saturday July 3, 10 and 17, will finally take place on Wednesday July 7 in Sydney (Cricket Ground), Tuesday July 13 in Melbourne (AAMI Park) and Saturday July 17 in Brisbane (Suncorp Stadium).

Or three tests in ten days, due to the fortnight imposed on the Blues on their arrival in Australia.

With a first contingent which will leave France after the semi-finals of the Top 14, in Lille, on June 18 and 19. 

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The French internationals who will play the final of the Top 14, on June 25 at the Stade de France, will leave in a second time and will not be able to play the first duel against the Wallabies if a 14-day isolation, linked to the coronavirus, is still theirs. imposed on their arrival on site.

However, they will be able to play the following two.

If this fortnight is still in force in two months, the FFR hopes that the XV of France will however obtain the right to leave their hotel once a day to be able to train collectively on an allocated ground.

This will be the first trip of the XV of France to Australia since the summer tour in 2014, which ended in three defeats for the Blues.

Since then, the French have received the Wallabies twice, during test matches at the Stade de France, in November 2014 (29-26 victory) and in November 2016 (25-23 loss).

It will also be the first confrontations of the XV of France with a selection from the southern hemisphere since the arrival of Fabien Galthié as coach at the end of 2019.

Some players, very much in demand this season such as captain Charles Ollivon or scrum half Antoine Dupont, could however be exempted from this tour and left to rest.

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