For several weeks, the French Rugby Federation had prepared the ground a little. The dismissal of the case of aggravated rape targeting Oscar Jegou and Hugo Auradou had barely been pronounced (December 10, editor's note), the FFR immediately published a press release explaining that “if their sporting performances allow it, they will potentially be selected to play again in the French team. Comments corroborated by Fabien Galthié on Monday on RMC, the coach assuring “that they are candidates for the French team because of their performances”.
The Rochelais and the Palois will not have had to wait very long since the FFR announced on Wednesday that the two players were part of the list of 42 from the XV of France selected to prepare for the 6 Nations Tournament match against Wales , January 31.
Sportingly speaking, since this is what Fabien Galthié judged to prepare his list, Oscar Jegou has actually been gaining momentum since his return on November 2. Last week, Maritimes manager Ronan O'Gara told Sud Ouest that the 3rd line “at least deserves to be in the group”.
A new audience scheduled in the middle of the Tournament
For Hugo Auradou, it was especially the absences in the second line that led Galthié to trust him.
Six months earlier, however, both seemed far from being able to wear the blue tunic. On July 8, two days after the victory of the French XV against Argentina (28-13), the two players were arrested following the filing of a complaint by a woman for an alleged sexual assault. Four days later, Jegou and Auradou were transferred to Mendoza to be incarcerated, then placed under surveillance before being authorized to return to France in early September.
“There will be a before and an after,” promised the president of the FFR Florian Grill in October, a few days before unveiling a “reinforced performance plan” for players in order to impose a stricter living environment on them. However, even before the Mendoza court deliberated, the doors of Marcoussis seemed far from being closed to the two 21-year-old players. Four days after their incarceration, Fabien Galthié had slipped to Olympic Midday “do not speak of them in the imperfect tense”.
The announcement of the dismissal on December 10 therefore only accelerated things. But the two players have not finished with justice, the complainant having appealed the decision. A new hearing will be held on February 10, then the verdict will fall a few days later… that is to say between the trip to England (February 8) and that to Italy (the 23). Not necessarily the ideal context to find the Blues, especially since an appeal for cassation will probably be filed, a sign that the legal journey of the two men is far from over.
France
