But where will Gaël Dréan stop? For his third season in the Top 14, the Lorientais is exploding. A little more than halfway through the season, the RC Toulon winger has already scored ten tries, more than in his first two seasons combined, and is at the top of the ranking of the best scorers in the championship
. A performance all the more impressive as, with nine matches and 670 minutes after 14 days, he has one of the lowest playing times of the members of the top 10.
“The ratio is exceptional,” confides Philippe Saint-André, fourth best try scorer in the history of the French XV (32) and former French coach (2011-2015). It has this X factor which cannot be bought in a supermarket: it is capable of boiling over and going fast for a very long time. When he is shifted, it is very complicated to pick him up because, I think, that between Bielle-Biarrey and him, it must match in terms of speed. »
The Morbihan rocket also confided to Sud Radio Rugby that it had already been flashed at 36.8 km/h! But the former Lorient, Plouzané and Rennes player has also progressed in other sectors, he is now much more complete than during his years in the Federal.
“His margin for progress is quite exceptional”
“During his first season (at the RCT), we identified him,” continues PSA, then manager of Montpellier. We had put a lot of footwork on him. He tried a risky restart, we countered it, and we won in Toulon (16-26). But since then, he has improved defensively, in aerial duels, in managing weak times. Offensively too, he stays a lot more on the field. I think he can look for balls a little more in traffic. His margin for improvement is quite exceptional and I hope for his sake that he will continue. »
He certainly fits into the potential of players likely to join this list
“A point of improvement would be how he participates more in the game,” confirms Pierre Villepreux, former co-selector of the XV of France (1995-1999). Today, the winger is not only the one who receives the ball at the end of the movement, he is the one who will create the play everywhere on the pitch. »
-Still, his performances did not go unnoticed, to the point of applying for a first call-up to the French team. Behind the indestructible Damian Penaud and Louis Bielle-Biarrey, Dréan will be in competition with his teammate Gabin Villière, the Palois Théo Attissogbe or even the Toulouse Matthis Lebel. During the last Six Nations Tournament, Fabien Galthié called up three wingers in his group of 34. The French coach could call up four while the number increased to 42 this year. There would then be two places left for four.
“Galthié will perhaps want to see him in training”
“If I correctly understood Galthié’s idea, in light of the next World Cup, it is to see as many players as possible,” adds Villepreux. So it certainly fits into the potential of players likely to join this list which is modular, it is not fixed. » In 2024, Galthié had used 75 players, a record for all nations combined.
The 24-year-old winger is the only one of the candidates mentioned to have never been called up. A good sign for him? “Fabien Galthié is like everyone else, he watches the matches,” explains Saint-André. When you’re a starter in one of the biggest teams, you’re a winger and top scorer in the Top 14, you’re not too far away. He might want to see him in training. »
Response Wednesday, the day of the group’s announcement. Even in the event of a call-up, there is little chance of seeing the Breton make his first selection during the Six Nations, barring injury to Penaud or Bielle-Biarrey. But he would take a step into the France group. Before the big debut during the summer tour?
Tied with Bayonnais Sireli Maqala.
Senegal
