Faced with the various doubts surrounding the positions of pillars, Fabien Galthié and his staff chose to coach no less than eleven front-line players (i.e. more than 25% of the list of 42), including the returning Slimani and Aldegheri, or even Baille and Gros have barely returned from injury.
And everything accelerated this Sunday, between the 33e and the 39e minute of the Leinster-La Rochelle match. Sitting in front of his television, coach Fabien Galthié saw his two presumed starting pillars for the opening of the Tournament leave the pitch due to injury, Uini Atonio injured in the right knee, then Reda Wardi at the level of the intercostal cartilage. Injuries not necessarily very serious, but which condemned the two men to several weeks of rest (at least three concerning Wardi, the duration of Atonio's unavailability not yet being specified)…
This is why, faced with all these questions, the French staff selected no less than eight pillars, including Atonio, despite his knee injury which he hopes to be able to treat in time between now and the match against Wales. To “double” it, not to say triple it, in the absence of Tevita Tatafu (whose return to competition with Bayonne was delayed), it is in two “veterans” that the blue staff chose to trust to the position of right pillar, starting with Rabah Slimani who, five years after his last cape, will treat himself to one last stint with the Blueswhile Toulouse's Dorian Aldegheri is also recalled.
Also read:
XV of France – Rabah Slimani back in Blue to prepare for the 6 Nations Tournament: the international career of the right pillar in five figures
A bias of the scrum specialists all the more understandable since Georges-Henri Colombe does not yet offer sufficient guarantees in the exercise to begin, while the other potential candidates are either injured (Falatea, Bamba) or undesirable ( Haouas, Hounkpatin)…
Guillard and Roumat withdraw, Jegou and Auradou return
As for the left pillar position? Wardi's absence meant taking risks… Thus, although barely returned from his major operation a little over six months ago (fracture of the fibula with tearing of the ligaments), Cyril Baille was summoned, just like the November holder Jean-Baptiste Gros, for whom it was necessary to wait a long time on Wednesday morning to be certain of his participation in the Toulon match against Sale this weekend (sine qua non condition for being called up, the regulations not allowing a call-up a player on sick leave). This duo only offering a minimum of guarantees on a physical level, the decision to complete it with the Catalan Giorgi Beria and the Toulonnais Dany Priso only seems more logical…
Also read:
XV of France – Auradou, Jegou, Jalibert, Slimani, Nene, Dréan… The list of 42 to prepare for the 6 Nations Tournament
The problem? The fact is that by calling up 11 front-line players (since we must add the hookers Mauvaka, Marchand and Lamothe), the French staff had to reduce their number of call-ups to the second and third line positions. The packages of Guillard (ankle) and Roumat (calf) helped a lot, even if the staff did not hesitate to make strong choices, such as recalling Oscar Jegou and Hugo Auradou, or preferring Toulon's Matthias Halagahu and Esteban Abadie, or even Toulouse's Josh Brennan in Cameron Woki, for example.
Finally, note that, despite a sluggish start to the season, Romain Taofifenua retains the confidence of his coaches, given his very particular profile to support Emmanuel Meafou. For the rest, no big surprise, since the executives Flament, Cros, Alldritt or Boudehent will be there, as will the young Marko Gazzotti.
Nene and Dréan, the only new things behind
As for the three-quarter line? We obviously note the two “UFOs” on the list, namely the Dacquois Noah Néné revealed by his incredible try scored two months ago against Mont-de-Marsan, or even the Toulonnais Gaël Dréan (current co-top scorer in the Top 14 with 10 tries), summoned following the withdrawal of Romain Buros. However, the hierarchy should not be shaken up overall (like the scrum half position where Le Garrec and Lucu will once again be Dupont's luxury understudies), the returns to the flyhalf position of Romain Ntamack and Matthieu Jalibert allowing Thomas Ramos to move back to his privileged full-back position, assisted by Léo Barré. Note that in addition to Nene, the selection includes other pure centers (Depoortere, Moefana, Gailleton, Barassi, Frisch) and five wingers (Bielle-Biarrey, Attissogbe, Villière, Penaud, Dréan), the staff counting among others on the versatility of Dupont at the opening or Bielle-Biarrey at the rear.
