A week after their victory against Scotland which cost them Cyril Baille and Romain Ntamack, injured, the XV of France made many changes for their third match in preparation for the World Cup, Saturday August 19 in Nantes, against Fiji.
Most of the team’s executives have been rested. Only the third line Grégory Alldritt (26 years old, 40 caps) and the center Jonathan Danty (30 years old, 21 caps) retained their place compared to the team which dominated Scotland (30-27), last week in Saint Etienne. Grégory Alldritt, base man of the team since Fabien Galthié took the reins, has also been appointed captain.
This third preparation match will be the last before the announcement of the list of 33 players called up for the World Cup, scheduled for Monday August 21 (1 p.m.). To be included, some players will therefore have to convince.
This is particularly the case of the back of Toulouse Melvyn Jaminet (24 years old, 13 caps), who has not started in Blue since March 19, 2022 and a victory over England (25-13). The center of Montpellier Arthur Vincent (23 years old, 15 selections), he will start a match in Blues for the first time since July 17, 2021. This is also the situation of the center of Bordeaux Yoram Moefana (23 years old, 17 selections) , positioned on the wing against Fiji, less prominent for some time or Louis Bielle-Biarrey (20 years old, 2 selections), newcomer to the team. For his part, Thomas Laclayat (25), right pillar trained in Oyonnax and recruited by Racing 92 for the coming season should honor his first selection for the France team, coming off the bench.
Some of the players lined up on Saturday are returning from injury, such as Montpellier second line Paul Willemse (30, 29 caps) and Toulouse third line François Cros (29, 20 caps). The latter have not started a meeting in Blue since the Six Nations Tournament. If he returned to the France group this week in the Landes, less than six months after a serious knee injury, Anthony Jelonch (27, 37 caps) is not in the group that will face Fiji.
“A somewhat complicated start to the week”
Saturday’s match will also be an opportunity to see a hinge composed of Maxime Lucu (30 years old, 14 caps), usual understudy for Antoine Dupont, and La Rochelle opener Antoine Hastoy (26 years old, 3 caps) . The latter will have a card to play in the duel which opposes him to the opening half of Bordeaux-Bègles Matthieu Jalibert (24 years old, 24 selections) for the position of number 10 holder in place of Romain Ntamack.
“It’s their destiny, they have to believe in themselves: it’s time to go.” Antoine Hastoy entered the French team a little over two years ago: he has few selections but a lot of preparation. He has lived a lot with us, he has accumulated a lot of experience, training. He has an experience, we cannot replace him, ”assured Fabien Galthié at a press conference.
Romain Ntamack, package for the entire World Cup due to a rupture of the cruciate ligament of the left knee, will therefore be absent. Just like the left pillar Cyril Baille (29 years old, 44 caps). Affected in the calf, he will be absent for at least four weeks but retains his chances of being kept in the group announced on Monday, even if it means missing the first matches. The tricolor staff assured that they have not yet made their decision, even if they announced the arrival in the group of the pillar of Lyon Sébastien Taofifenua (31 years old, 2 selections).
“Every injury is unfortunate and brings its own set of emotions. We shared it with the whole group: we are full of enthusiasm on Sunday evening and then we have a bit of a complicated start to the week… It was a bad Monday but we have to get back to fighting, we have to move on.” , estimated the manager of the Blues Raphaël Ibañez. “We took the bad news, together, head-on. It’s part of the World Cup, of living together. It was the monumental slap on Monday morning,” Galthié said.
With this match against Fiji, the Blues must switch to the end of their preparation for the World Cup. There will be one last match, August 27 at the Stade de France, against Australia before thinking of the thunderous opening match which awaits the Blues, on September 8, against the All Blacks.
