6 Nations. Who are the big losers from the list of 42 players of the French XV

While some players were certain of being part of the list of 42 players selected by the XV of France for the 6 Nations Tournament 2025others were necessarily in a favorable or unfavorable ballot. A few absentees, who could have claimed to be there, are the big losers on this list.

Serin and Couilloud big losers from the list of the XV of France

Nobody will say that Baptiste Serin and Baptiste Couilloud owe their absence from the list of 42 of the XV of France to disappointing performances. Both have been exemplary at the club since the start of the season.

As far as Baptiste Serin is concerned, it's very simple, there is an RCT with him and an RCT without him. In the harbour, he is the boss, game leader, regulator, dynamiter, endless rhymes. At 30 years old, the former Bordeaux player is at the top of his game and would do wonders as Antoine Dupont's understudy.

In Lyon, it's a bit the same story, Baptiste Couilloud has become indispensable, even allowing himself to score a mess of tries. Just 17 goals last season, no one had done better.

But these two pay the wealth of French rugby in the scrum half position, between the alien Antoine Dupont, his appointed understudy Maxime Lucu and the future represented by Nolann Le Garrec.

Antoine Hastoy and Léo Berdeu, so close, so far

One has clearly lost his status even though he was in the group that participated in the last World Cup a little over a year ago, the other seems to see a sort of glass ceiling establishing itself over above him.

In light of his past in blue, we could consider that Antoine Hastoy (7 caps) loses more by not appearing on this list than Léo Berdeu who has never been capped yet.

However, both have the same concerns for the future: is there room for a third specialist fly half within the France group? Behind the indisputable owners Romain Ntamack and Matthieu Jalibert, the last chair now seems reserved for Thomas Ramos who does much better than help out when given the opportunity.

Barlot overtaken by Lamothe, Nouchi retreats

Although he has a total of 9 selections, we unfortunately remember Gaëtan Barlot more in the stands during the matches of the XV of France than on the field. But he at least had the merit of being in the group and knocking on the locker room door regularly. This time, however, he seems to have been overtaken by Maxime Lamothe, often excellent with the UBB and who will end up experiencing the joy of a first cap one day.

Finally, comes the case of Lenni Nouchi. Leader of an MHR in turmoil, he had demonstrated enough qualities to be taken to Argentina in the summer of 2024 and glean 2 well-deserved selections.

No doubt destined to settle in the long term with the XV of France, the flanker will be able to experience this non-call-up as a setback, seeing his comrade U20 world champion Oscar Jégou move ahead of him in the hierarchy. At only 21 years old, however, he has plenty of time ahead of him to come back.

As for Mickaël Guillard, Romain Buros and Reda Wardi, their injuries prevent them from applying for the moment but nothing says that they will not appear later in the competition.

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