Fabien Galthié confirmed the desire of the staff of the XV of France to treat Oscar Jegou and Hugo Auradou as any players eligible for the VI Nations Tournament. The coach reaffirmed his support for them after the rape accusations and the legal proceedings against them in Argentina.
“We completely assume responsibility for our decisions”, declared this Tuesday the coach of the Blues Fabien Galthié assumed his choices and those of the staff of the XV of France regarding the summons for the preparation of the VI Nations Tournament of Oscar Jegou and Hugo Auradou . The two players were retained for the competition after benefiting from a dismissal at first instance in the aggravated rape case in Argentina.
XV of France, Auradou and Jegou back: logical or scandalous? – 01/16
“I understand and I hear the controversy that this may cause but we completely assume responsibility for our decisions,” explained Fabien Galthié to journalists in Rome, during the official presentation of the 2025 Tournament. Comments similar to those made on RMC during his recent passage in the Super Moscato Show.
“We only take performance into account,” further clarified the Blues coach. A choice first of all sporting, the two players being at the level since their return to the field, with Pau for the second row for Hugo Auradou from October and with La Rochelle for the flanker Oscar Jegou in November.
Galthié defends “players who have worked a lot”
Oscar Jegou and Hugo Auradou were arrested and detained in July in Mendoza, accused of aggravated rape by the complainant after an evening at a nightclub.
“These are players who have worked a lot to get through this very complex period, which is not over yet,” underlined Galthié, while the plaintiff appealed against the dropping of the charges. The examination of this appeal is scheduled for February 10 and 11, during the Tournament.
-Auradou and Jegou present at Blues training
The two 21-year-old players were part of the small contingent of 16 participants on Tuesday in the first training session of the gathering in Marcoussis.
“Everything happened naturally,” third row François Cros said at a press conference about their return. “I think they also want to move forward, to put this story behind them. We welcomed them like any player in the group.”
“This episode made us all grow and we were able to become aware of the responsibilities we have and the risks we also run towards outside people,” added François Cros.
Oscar Jegou, number 6 on the back, and Hugo Auradou, aligned in the second line alongside Romain Taofifenua, took part in an opposition against the Espoirs, while the bulk of the troops, coming from Bordeaux and Toulouse, remained in the rest.
In the absence of Antoine Dupont, present in Rome for the official launch of the Tournament, and of Maxime Lucu, spared like his comrades from the UBB having played in the Champions Cup on Sunday, it was Racingman Nolann le Garrec who took position at the scrum, Léo Barré sliding from his usual position at full-back to that of opener. The first match of the Tournament for the French XV will take place on January 31 at the Stade de France against Wales.
