Five Have Toured Before

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30411, 9 April 1964, Page 17

Five Have Toured Before

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright)

PARIS, April 8. Only five of the 28-man French Rugby League team selected to tour Australia and New Zealand took part In the French tour of 1960. A further 11 have played against touring Australian or New Zealand teams in France. The five who made the tour four years ago are threequarters Bernard Fabre, aged 28 (22 test caps); Claude Mantoulan, aged 28 (26 caps); Raymond Gruppi, aged 26 (16 caps); second-row forward Robert

Eramouspe, aged 28 (26 caps), and half-back Georges Pages, aged 30 (20 caps). The veteran of the party, both in years and experience, is the full-back, Andre Carrere, who will be 32 by the time the team leaves for Australia on May 10. He has played in 28 test matches for France. The youngest player Is 21-year-old Michael Bardes (Roanne), who has yet to play in International football. Five others have never played in a full international. They are all forwards— Christian Sabatia, aged 22: Francis Mas, aged 25: Edouard Dusseigneur, aged 25; Pierre

Azalbert, aged 29; and Joseph Lapoterie, aged 26. Azalbert, although a top club player, has several times missed test selection because of injury. He now gets his first big chance at 29 years of age. Lapoterie recently turned professional after playing Rugby for France. Mas is also a recent "convert” to the League game and previously played Union for Beziers. Carrere is the only player listed as a full-back, but should he be Injured the threequarters, Claude Mantoulan and Henri Castel, or the five-eighths. Roger Garnung, are capable of taking over. ,