French (32) is the only Otago player in the 14 strong New Zealand indoor bowls team to play a three test transtasman series in Sydney next week.
He is lead in the men’s triples and four and is confident his two months’ training on the Australian mats has helped his preparation.
"The Aussie mats are thicker, longer and a lot heavier than the mats we have in New Zealand," French said.
"You need to give the bowl a bigger push. It took me a couple of sessions to get my head around it, but I’m comfortable on the mats now."
The New Zealand Indoor Bowls Federation keeps Australian mats in Wellington and lends them to its test team to practise on before the biennial series.
French did not play in the Dunedin summer series because he wanted to get himself ready for the test series.
"I have trained three or four times a week for two hours on the thick mat at the Otago Indoor Bowls Stadium."
French leaves Dunedin tomorrow to join the New Zealand team that will have three days practising in Sydney before the series begins on Thursday.
He is one of two new caps in the 14 strong New Zealand team for the series, which runs from May 18 to 20.
The other new cap in the Mat Blacks is Southland’s Suzanne Mackie, who will be lead in the mixed four and women’s pair.
"I’m excited about the prospect and am looking forward to the challenge. But we can’t afford to be over-confident because Australia is getting better and the last two test series were close."
The other two South Islanders in the team are Gary Low (Southland) and Simon Thomas (Ashburton), who are both in the men’s triples and fours.
The last Otago bowler to represent New Zealand was Garry Flewitt, who played against Australia in 2009.
French has played bowls for 22 years and has won 21 Otago titles. He is the first Green Island club bowler to represent his country.
He was in the Green Island team that won the Otago mixed fours last weekend to qualify for the regional finals.
The captain of the New Zealand team is Grant l’Ami (Taranaki), who played for Otago when French was still a novice bowler.
New Zealand, the titleholder, has won the Henselite Trophy 16 times, including eight series in succession from 1993 to 2007.
The test series is held every two years and alternates between countries. Australia has won on five occasions.
NZ indoor bowls
Team
Women: Teri Anderson (Waikato), Lois Randall (Hutt Valley), Linda McCurdy (Waikato), Sheree Holmes (Upper Hutt Valley), Denise Clarkson (Hutt Valley). Fiona Wilson (Tauranga), Suzanne Mackie (Southland).
Men: Ashley Diamond (Upper Hutt Valley), Simon Thomas (Ashburton), Gary Low (Southland), Grant Rayner (North Wellington), Daniel French (Otago), Grant l’Ami (North Taranaki), Paul Smith (Tauranga).
Reserves: Gina Owen (Bay of Plenty); Michael Lawson (Ashburton).
Captain: Grant l’Ami. Vice Captain: Fiona Wilson.Manager: Barry Chapman (Waikato).
