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France's Sebastien Chabal during the French rugby team training run at Dilworth School - Source: NZPA Images
The first wave of Tricolores has set foot in New Zealand, their specialist sport initially a low priority as the French rugby team shook off jetlag with football-based skills session on Thursday.
The bulk of the French squad arrived in New Zealand from Paris via Singapore on Wednesday and after catching up on sleep started their acclimatisation process ahead of two tests in Dunedin and Wellington with a relaxed workout.
Only eight members of the 30-man squad are yet to arrive - seven are involved in the domestic Top 14 final this weekend between former Bay of Plenty coach Vern Cotter's Clermont Auvergne and Daniel Carter's adopted Perpignan.
Those players and Toulouse back Florian Fritz are due to arrive on Monday - though few, if any, are likely to be in contention when coach Marc Lievremont settles on his selection for the season-opening test at Carisbrook next Saturday.
The majority of the first choice lineup have another run in Auckland on Friday - the team's base until they move south next Thursday.
Fears the French would ship out a second string team decimated by injury and unavailability appear unfounded.
The June internationals have often being treated as a low priority for northern hemisphere nations but the French squad is missing only three first choice players - although two are influential.
Original tour captain Lionel Nallet, a lock bound for Andrew Mehrtens' Racing-Metro club in Paris next season was forced out with a rib injury.
Lineout leader and No 8 Imanol Harinordoquy and 20-year-old halfback Morgan Parra both succumbed to shoulder injuries.
While they experience will be missed, the French tour party still boasts 707 caps and only one untried test player, Leicester halfback Julien Dupuy, who is expected to start next weekend.
Seven of the tour party were involved in the last meeting between the two nations, the 2007 World Cup quarterfinal in Cardiff, where France prevailed 20-18.
Forwards Thierry Dusautoir, the current captain, Dimitri Szarzewski and prominent loose forward turned lock Sebastien Chabal all played at the Millennium Stadium along with experienced backs Yannick Jauzion, Vincent Clerc, Cedric Heymans and Damien Traille.
France have a miserable record in New Zealand, winning just three times in 21 attempts stretching back to 1961 though they have been memorable.
Bastille Day in 1979 is remembered in a rugby sense when Jean Pierre Rives' side won 24-19 in Auckland while the 1994 team triumphed 2-0 after winning 22-8 in Christchurch and 23-20 at Eden Park - a test famous for Jean-Luc Sadourney completing "the try from the end of the world".
