Antoine Frisch, the centre player for Munster who is eligible to play for Ireland, has recently been summoned to the France Six Nations squad. It has been reported in French press that Frisch is among seven players recruited into Fabien Galthié’s squad ahead of their upcoming confrontation with England.
Frisch, a French native, officially joined Munster from Bristol Bears in preparation for the 2022 season. He did so with the purpose of representing Ireland, his grandmother’s homeland. After showing remarkable performance, Frisch was selected for the Emerging Ireland tour of South Africa in 2022. Despite this, he was not committed to Ireland and remains eligible to represent France, especially with Henshaw, Ringrose, Aki, and McCloskey already occupying the centre slots in the senior squad.
Following France’s win over Wales, Galthié revealed that they have been tracking Frisch’s progress for some time and believe he has a real opportunity to prove himself, considering Pierre-Louis Barassi’s injury and Jonathan Danty’s unavailability. He was duly recognised for his consistent stellar performance for Munster as the undisputed chief player.
Frisch’s contractual obligations with Munster extend until the closure of the 2025 season; however, if he secures a cap for France, that would classify him as a non-Irish qualified (NIQ) player, and this could impact his future. France and England will lock horns in Lyon the following Saturday.
Emilien Gailleton (Pau), Antoine Hastoy (La Rochelle), Dany Priso (RC Toulon), Posolo Tuilagi (Perpignan), and Cameron Woki (Racing 92) are the other players who have been invited alongside Frisch to the training squad.