Munster's Antoine Frisch declares intention to represent France

LATEST MUNSTER BLOW: Antoine Frisch of Munster evades the tackle of Evardi Boshoff of Ospreys. Pic:  Chris Fairweather, Sportsfile

Munster centre Antoine Frisch has declared his intention to play international rugby for the country of his birth, France. 

Frisch - having previously represented Emerging Ireland on their tour to South Africa in 2022 - was called into train with Fabien Galthié's French squad during the Six Nations, but was not capped.

The French native - who qualifies for Ireland through his grandmother - moved to Munster two years ago, at the time declaring an intention to play for Andy Farrell's outfit. 

Speaking to  L'Equipe, Frisch said: “I have been in contact with Fabien Galthié for a long time and this contact has never been interrupted. 

"From the moment I was called into the France group, it became very clear to me. I want to play for France.

"It's where I grew up, I had a Les Bleus poster on the walls of my room as a child."

Frisch was on Farrell's radar ahead of the summer internationals, with the Ireland boss noting he was "100 percent still at the front of our minds", but judging from the 27-year-old Munster man's comments, he would prefer a call-up from Galthié ahead of Les Bleus' tour to Argentina. 

If Frisch - linked with French outfit Toulon, among other Top 14 sides - were to be capped by France this summer, it would have implications for Munster, rendering him non-Irish qualified (NIQ).

Head coach Graham Rowntree has already been forced to allow South Africa lock RG Snyman to depart this summer after Jean Kleyn switched allegiances back to the Springboks four years after being capped by Ireland, thus becoming NIQ.

New Zealand Maori midfielder Alex Nankivell is another overseas signing on the province's books and having two NIQ centres in the squad may force another such dilemma for Rowntree with both Frisch and Nankivell out of contract in the summer of 2025.