Rugby-Trinh-Duc left out as Michalak included in France squad

PARIS, May 14 (Reuters) - France manager Philippe Saint-Andre left out flyhalf Francois Trinh-Duc for next month's three-test series against New Zealand as he included eight newcomers in his 35-man squad for the Southern Hemisphere trip.

"He (Trinh-Duc) needs to rest after a long season," Saint-Andre, who picked Frederic Michalak after the Toulon player recently returned from a shoulder injury, told a news conference on Tuesday.

Eddy Ben Arous, Alexandre Flanquart, Camille Lopez, Remi Tales, Adrien Plante, Daniel Kotze, Bernard Le Roux and Noa Nakaitaci earned their first call-up.

Unsurprisingly, Morgan Parra and Maxime Machenaud were picked as the designated scrumhalves.

France take on world champions New Zealand on June 8, 15 and 22 in Auckland, Hamilton and New Plymouth respectively.

Forwards : Eddy Ben Arous (Racing-Metro), Vincent Debaty (Clermont), Thomas Domingo (Clermont), Guilhem Guirado (Perpignan), Benjamin Kayser (Clermont), Dimitri Szarzewski (Racing-Métro), Luc Ducalcon (Clermont), Daniel Kotze (Clermont), Nicolas Mas (Perpignan), Alexandre Flanquart (Stade Français), Yoann Maestri (Toulouse), Christophe Samson (Castres), Sébastien Vahaamahina (Perpignan), Yannick Nyanga (Toulouse), Fulgence Ouedraogo (Montpellier), Thierry Dusautoir (Toulouse, captain), Bernard Le Roux (Racing-Metro), Antonie Claassen (Castres), Louis Picamoles (Toulouse).

Backs: Maxime Machenaud (Racing-Metro), Morgan Parra (Clermont), Frédéric Michalak (Toulon), Camille Lopez (Bordeaux-Bègles), Remi Tales (Castres), Mathieu Bastareaud (Toulon), Gael Fickou (Toulouse), Wesley Fofana (Clermont), Florian Fritz (Toulouse), Maxime Mermoz (Toulon), Maxime Médard (Toulouse), Noa Nakaitaci (Clermont), Alexis Palisson (Toulon), Adrien Plante (Perpignan), Brice Dulin (Castres), Yoann Huget (Toulouse) (Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Pritha Sarkar)

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