An executive from the XV of France announces his retirement!

This was one of the main lessons of the composition of the XV of France for the first test of this month of November. A Blues executive for more than a decade, Gaël Fickou had to be content this time with a substitute role against Japan. A rarity for the Racing player, who had not started a French XV match on the bench since February 2019 and the reception of Wales in the Six Nations Tournament.

This benching should not, however, be long-term. Gaël Fickou is in fact expected to find a starting place for the clash against the All-Blacks next Saturday. Despite his try scored against the Japanese, Emilien Gailleton will have to step aside and the Racingman should be associated with Yoram Moefana.

Overtaken by a certain weariness

And at 30, Gaël Fickou still sees far. The former Toulouse player already has the 2027 World Cup in New Zealand in mind. A World Cup that he imagines will spell the end of his career. “ You can never be 100% sure… But in 2027, at 33 years old and with fifteen seasons of professional rugby behind me, I believe I will have served my time. When you no longer have big goals in front of you, when you can no longer go for World Cups and titles with your club, it's better to stop “, he confided in a long interview with Midi Olympique.

If he considers himself privileged, Gaël Fickou seems overcome by a certain weariness. “ But there are also, in our lives, a lot of constraints that people don't necessarily see: the training routine, the incessant travel, the weekends taken… And then, above all, there is mental wear and tear: this title, I think I am one of the players who has done the most in the last ten years “, he stressed.