France have named a patched-up 26-man squad for their tour to Australia, leaving out the players still involved in the semi-finals of the French championship.

The touring party includes 12 newcomers while Sebastien Chabal, left out for the Six Nations tournament, was recalled.

"It was not easy but it's not a squad by default," coach Marc Lievremont told a news conference.

"There will be a lot of young players, and some who are not so young. Our goal is to lay the foundations for the 2011 World Cup. We'll need those young players in New Zealand," he added.

Biarritz, ousted of the Top 14 semi-finals by Clermont, Toulouse, Paris and Perpignan, provide a backbone of six players to the squad including scrumhalf Dimitri Yachvili, number eight Imanol Harinordoquy and centre Damien Traille.

Chabal and hookers Sebastien Bruno and Benjamin Kayser, who play club rugby with Sale and Leicester, will bring an English flavour to the team.

"We had to take into account the fact that some players were very tired at the end of a long season which started with the World Cup," Lievremont said.

"Such was the case for Chabal. He had a four-week break whereas players like Jerome Thion, who was available, have been in action all year."

Flanker Mathieu Lievremont, younger brother of the national coach, will lead the group of the newcomers with scrumhalf Sebastien Tillous-Bordes, centre Thibault Lacroix and wings Jean-Baptiste Peyras and Alexis Palisson.

"All these new players will have nothing to lose. We are going to Australia to win but whatever the results there will be no lynching," assistant coach Emile Ntamack said.

France will play two tests againsT the Wallabies on June 28 in Sydney and on July 5 in Brisbane.

Squad:

Forwards: Sebastien Bruno, Benjamin Kayser, Lionel Faure, Pierre Correia, Benoit Lecouls, Renaud Boyoud, Lionel Nallet (captain), David Couzinet, Sebastien Chabal, Louis Picamoles, Imanol Harinordoquy, Fulgence Ouedraogo, Mathieu Lievremont, Yannick Caballero.

Backs: Dimitri Yachvili, Sebastien Tillous-Bordes, Francois Trinh-Duc, Benjamin Boyet, Damien Traille, Thibault Lacroix, Maxime Mermoz, Benjamin Thiery, Jean-Baptiste Peyras, Alexis Palisson, David Janin, Pepito Elhorga.

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