IThere are four of them, like the three musketeers. Since 2020 and the start of Fabien Galthié’s mandate, Charles Ollivon, Grégory Alldritt, François Cros and Anthony Jelonch have monopolized the three places on the third row. Barring injury, they were at all the major events and we can count on the fingers of one hand the matches of the Six Nations Tournament that this quartet with very complementary qualities was able to miss.
Of course, the Lyonnais Dylan Cretin, the Parisians Sekou Macalou and Cameron Woki have sometimes managed to invite themselves onto a folding seat. In an ephemeral way, because for four years, the hierarchy was clear. And then this November tour arrived, the Rochelais Paul Boudehent and the Toulouse Alexandre Roumat “came to get the jersey” to use Fabien Galthié’s expression. And given the way they took it against the All Blacks in particular, the era of our three or four musketeers seemed to be over. The cards have been reshuffled.
No more unlimited credit
If we had to look in the management of Galthié for an indicator of his desire to instill competition, to no longer grant unlimited credit to his executives, it is in the management of the third line players that we can find it. Because in addition to being undisputed and often indisputable sportingly, Alldritt (27 years old), Ollivon (31 years old) and Jelonch (28 years old) were captains of the XV of France.
In the life of the group, they belong to the “council of wise men” around Antoine Dupont. They had a status with Fabien Galthié who had done everything possible, for example, to allow the Toulouse flanker to be competitive for the World Cup after his serious knee injury.
This fall, lacking form, Jelonch and Ollivon were sent back to their clubs before the match against Japan. The Basque from Toulon was recalled to face the All Blacks, as a substitute but he could start in eight against the Pumas.
It is therefore premature to talk about a downgrade. What is certain is that the hierarchy is shaken up. “What is striking is that these senior players are not sidelined due to injury,” notes former number 8 Thomas Lièvremont. The observation is that Roumat and Boudehent are indeed the two winners of the first two matches of the fall.
“We shouldn’t draw a line under the quartet, but these two bring their enthusiasm, they are new mentally,” believes Olivier Magne (89 caps). “Paul Boudehent can be dominant in all duels. Alexandre Roumat brings his intelligence and his skills to the game.”
“Boudehent, it’s Mr. Muscle. As for Roumat, we could question his abilities in the confrontation. But he did not suffer against the All Blacks, judge Thomas Lièvremont. And his technical qualities can be valuable if the France team wants to hold the ball. »
“The two had a big match against an opponent who is a reference. It’s a marker”
“Their two profiles are very different but they complement each other,” continues Laurent Cabannes. “Roumat has a bit of the same profile as Charles Ollivon. Fresher, younger. That’s a lot of mobility. He is very good in the air and has, for me, the best hands in the Top 14. He took the lead in Toulouse on the sidelines as well as on the counter touch. This is not trivial. He has a very quick turnaround for a player of his size. He is atypical. »
“Boudehent, he is fierce in the short game,” continues the former Racing and Blues flanker (49 caps). He moves well. He arrives very quickly at the meeting points. The two had a big match in a big meeting against an opponent who is a reference. It’s a marker. »
Capitalize on the competition
And this revelation turned negative last Saturday for Grégory Alldritt, below his usual standards against the New Zealanders. If we rely on the distribution of the bibs on Tuesday evening in training, the La Rochelle number eight should not be started against the Argentinians. “Alldritt is a subject,” recognizes Cabannes. I love his placement, his intelligence. But it lacks freshness. He has a direct game. To win collisions, you need freshness. » We already noticed this wear and tear last season despite the break made by the Rochelais after the World Cup. “He will see the Gazzotti, the Castro-Ferreira arrive. The ranking is moving. But he’s an intelligent player, still young. It will bounce back. »
That’s what we should hope for. For Alldritt as for the other three musketeers. It’s unlikely they’ll “give up the jersey” without a fight. “This arrival of young players is an asset. It’s all profit. This does not eliminate the others,” believes Cabannes. “On the contrary, it’s a good sign,” welcomes Thomas Lièvremont. This will allow us to capitalize on the competition. »
