the frames in the ropes?

Danty not recalled, Ollivon out of the 23, Fickou expected on the bench, while the team composition will be announced this Thursday (11 a.m.), coach Fabien Galthié did not hesitate to downgrade senior players from the fifteen of France. Momentary trend or real shift in view of the next World Cup, the situation is, in any case, unprecedented.

“We want to take 80 to 90% of this group to the next World Cup in Australia.” The quote is from coach Fabien Galthié, at the end of the last VI Nations Tournament. After the inaugural defeat against Ireland and the close victory in Scotland, he himself did not hesitate to step up to defend the “regulars” of his mandate (remember the “team of France, it's not Koh-Lanta”). Once the draw was conceded to Italy, he had to resolve to inject new blood and change the training methods somewhat to introduce a little uncertainty .

The arrivals of players such as Le Garrec, Depoortere, Barré, Colombe and Roumat had already drawn the beginnings of “plate tectonics”. Six months later, no one expected a mini-earthquake to hit Marcoussis. Because let's make no mistake: Gaël Fickou is an indisputable starter of the Galthié era, during which he honored 39 of his 90 selections without ever sitting on the bench. Seeing him substitute on Saturday is completely new. “It's a group that continues to advance, 42 players are there. We really want to bring together as many high-performance players as possible. Of course there are the 15 who will be able to start the match, the 23 who will have the chance to play, the 42 who are there. What is important is the whole group with which we work.

“It’s the law of sport”

The staff may, like Laurent Sempéré, temper all that, but we cannot ignore these changes. The case of Charles Ollivon resembles another example of philosophical mutation. First captain of Fabien Galthié, the Toulonnais did not seem to have suffered so much during the last World Cup and the last Tournament. Seeing Alexandre Roumat, sparkling for two seasons with Stade Toulousain, pass him in front is not an infamy, but to imagine Ollivon being ejected from the group of 23… Wednesday, at the start of the opposition, he was not even from the 3rd line of the substitutes team, ahead of Nouchi and Boudehent, the latter having to take his place on the bench on Saturday against Japan.

The very essence of a national selection, competition is exacerbated among the rugby Blues, who know it. “Obviously, there is great emulation in the group, with new faces too, who want to experience the adventure and be part of the team,” recognizes 3rd row François Cros. “It's normal, it's the law of sport. In any case, what's good is that all the players present here are 200% involved for the good of the team, without thinking about whether We’ll be on the team or not.” Three years before the World Cup in Australia, with a first match marked as the “most affordable”, Fabien Galthié and his staff are surely saying that the opportunity is great.

Building a successful group for 2027

Driven, it is true, by fierce competition for certain positions. In the 3rd line, the Cros, Alldritt, Roumat, Nouchi, Boudehent, Bochaton, Guillard, Gazzoti and Jelonch are engaged in a crazy match (while waiting for Castro-Ferreira, Haddad or Jegou?), while in the center, good luck to the future to choose between Moefana, Gailleton, Fickou, Frisch, Depoortere, Costes, Darricarrère or Danty, without presuming their age or experience, even if the objective is to constitute a successful group for 2027. So real trend or laboratory experiment? To find out if Professor Galthié only wanted to administer a booster shot to his grunts or if they should rather be worried, we will meet in a week, when the team composition is announced against the All Blacks. And, for the “challengers” who will shine, later if there are affinities.