France call up Munster’s Irish-qualified centre

Munster’s Irish-qualified centre Antoine Frisch has been called up to the France Six Nations squad.

According to reports in the French media, Frisch is one of seven players called into Fabien Galthié's squad ahead of their final round clash with England.

Frisch, who was born in France, joined Munster from Bristol Bears ahead of the 2022 season. He did so with the intention of playing for Ireland, the country of his grandmother’s birth.

The centre impressed sufficiently to be picked for the Emerging Ireland tour of South Africa in 2022. However, appearances on that trip did not tie him to Ireland, and with his path to the senior squad blocked by the centre quartet of Robbie Henshaw, Garry Ringrose, Bundee Aki and Stuart McCloskey, Frisch is still eligible to represent the country of his birth.

“We have followed him for a long time and the opportunity is there for him to take: Pierre-Louis Barassi has a sprain, Jonathan Danty is unavailable due to the red card,” said Fabien Galthié after his side’s victory over Wales on Sunday.

“He has put together a series of big performances for Munster where he is the undisputed first choice.”

Frisch’s Munster contract runs until the end of the 2025 season, but it remains to be seen if a France cap, which would render him a non-Irish qualified (NIQ) player, has any bearing on his future.

France take on England in Lyon next Saturday.

[ Antoine Frisch making steady progress towards his goal of playing for Ireland: ‘From the very start, that was the dream ]

Alongside Frisch, Emilien Gailleton (Pau) Antoine Hastoy(La Rochelle) Dany Priso (RC Toulon) Posolo Tuilagi (Perpignan) and Cameron Woki (Racing 92) have been called up to the training squad.