Charles Ollivon, victim of a serious right knee injury, will miss the 2025 Six Nations Tournament. France XV coach Fabien Galthié must now find his replacement.
The coach of the French XV, Fabien Galthié, will unveil next week a list of 42 players to prepare for the 2025 Six Nations Tournament, which kicks off on Friday January 31 (9:15 p.m.) with the reception of Wales . Unfortunately, Charles Ollivon, victim of a ruptured cruciate ligament in his right knee during the match against Racing 92 last Saturday in the Top 14, had to end his season and will be out of this competition.
Although Ollivon was no longer an indisputable starter in blue, his experience (46 caps) made him a valuable asset for Fabien Galthié. He also returned in very good form, after a more timid 2023-2024 season. During the last tour in November (2024), he was not lined up against Japan, came on against the All Blacks for 25 minutes, then played the entire match against Argentina as third center line. It is now appropriate, for Galthié, to find a replacement in this profile, capable of playing in positions 4, 7 and 8 at the same time.
“Safe” values
Among its competitors in the third line, there are first of all those who were already present and active in the fall. Starting with the Blues for the first time in November, Alexandre Roumat upset the hierarchy at the post, in the mind of Fabien Galthié. The reward for his very good performances with Stade Toulousain. Roumat is a third line profile focused on movement, with good hands and a game intelligence which often allows him to play in spaces and shine in the alignment, on the touchline. He has the profile to continue in blue, associated for example with Rochelais Paul Boudehentmuch more powerful (1.92 m for 112 kg). Grégory Damn itundisputed leader, remains a sure value for the French staff (51 caps) although he was left to rest during the last match against Argentina.
To complete this table of “sure values”, the tireless tackler from Stade Toulousain François Cros (34 caps) is a trusted man of the staff of the XV of France. He should continue in the rotation and, depending on the balance, will also help to compensate for the loss of Charles Ollivon.
Versatile profiles
Still, Ollivon's absence opens up a place in the group of 42 and possibly on the match sheet, in a “6-2” substitutes' bench pattern (six forwards, two three-quarters). The Blues staff could then look for a versatile player, capable of playing in both the second and third line. A profile that can concern several elements: Anthony Jelonchdismissed in November but who is returning to a good level of play and who has already played in the second row, at Stade Toulouse; Yacouba Camarathe man in (great) form at the start of the season for Montpellier, and who would then return to the Blues for the first time in six years and the 2019 World Cup in Japan; Cameron Wokifinally, who has regularly covered both positions with the Blues and who is finding an attractive level of play, at the start of the season, after several lackluster months.
The big odds
Further down the hierarchy, to compensate for the loss of Ollivon, many players are ready and have already experienced the joys of a call-up to Blue: the Bordeaux player Marko Gazzotti (who celebrated his first selection in November), the Toulonnais Esteban Abadiethe Clermontois Killian Tixerontle Racingman Ibrahim Diallothe Montpellier To be Nouchi or the Toulouse Joshua Brennanalready called up in November and who has for him to be able to play both in the second or third line.
The Jegou case
Finally, how can we not address the case ofOscar Jegou ? The third row from La Rochelle benefited at the beginning of December from a dismissal of the Mendoza case and, although the complainant appealed, he was declared de facto selectable by the FFR. This Monday, Midi Olympique confirmed that his name is indeed widely mentioned by the staff of the XV of Francewhich meets this Tuesday evening in a seminar near Toulon.
