France, All Blacks Close To Agreement To Play Twice In November

The All Blacks may play France twice this November, according to Pierre-Laurent Gou of MIDI-OLYMPIQUE. Talks between the French Rugby Federation and New Zealand Rugby "are ongoing." According to sources, the FFR will announce in the coming days an agreement with NZR to organize a “second match against the All Blacks in France.” As of now, France is set to play three Test matches this year: Nov. 11 against New Zealand, Nov. 18 against South Africa and Nov. 25 against Japan. For several weeks, FFR President Bernard Laporte has “expressed his desire to add a fourth match.” Nov. 15 has been proposed for the second All Blacks-France match, and “negotiations should be finalized with an official agreement following shortly.” The FFR approached Marseille city officials to host the match at the Orange Vélodrome, and the city “seemed excited about the possibility” (MIDI-OLYMPIQUE, 4/3).