Gaël Fickou absent, Pierre-Louis Barassi (26 years old, 3 caps) should find the French midfielder again, at the start of the 6 Nations Tournament.
When Gaël Fickou, the most capped player in the France group (93 caps), is absent, Fabien Galthié's choices in midfield are naturally fewer. To date, there are three of them fighting for two places: Yoram Moefana, Pierre-Louis Barassi and Nicolas Depoortère. We obviously don't forget the young Dacquois Noah Nene but it's hard to see the national coach propelling a Pro D2 player into the starting position, during a 6 Nations Tournament that the French XV must win…
If we are to believe the latest indiscretions from Marcoussis, Moefana should, in the name of his start to the season and his excellent knowledge of the French playing system (31 caps), start against Wales with, in the back , number 12. Alongside him, Pierre-Louis Barassi, whose last selection dates back to the summer of 2021 and a successful tour of Australia, could also be the starter. On the subject of Toulouse, Fabien Galthié explains in the interview he gives us today: “He comes with us regularly but since the 2019 World Cup, he has often been injured and subjected to tough competition at the Stade Toulouse. Which has left him little room to return to competition. Today, he is playing a series of matches . He's good, efficient. He's got great potential, a very good line player, a puncher, who regulates well. I see him more as an outside center. He knows that.
He is more of an entertainer than in the past…
Clearly, the Barassi option would be anything but unreasonable. Author of a resounding start to the season with Stade Toulouse, the former three-quarter center of Lou (2016-2022) continues in the Champions Cup – that is to say at the level closest to international standards – with astonishing performances. We knew him until now as a tackle breaker and explosive attacker, we have also discovered him in recent months as a distributor and passer, his manager in the pink city Ugo Mola having often asked him to play number 12, in a role very close to that of fly-half.
-Pierre-Louis Barassi, at the end of his contract in Haute-Garonne but who should, barring any disaster, extend his lease with the reigning French champions, has therefore had a career at 26 that is in no way linear but is today placed among the best attackers in the Top 14. What reminds us, moreover, that he was, at the time when the Bleuets were world champions in 2018, starting in the middle of the field with a certain Romain Ntamack…
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