With the Toulouse and La Rochelle executives at rest, coach Fabien Galthié has put together a mixed selection, between executives, returnees and newcomers, for the two July tests in Japan.
It is a real game of musical chairs that Fabien Galthié and his staff had to achieve for the summer tour of the XV of France in Japan (test matches on July 2 and 9 in Tokyo and Nagoya). The goal? Nominate 42 players. Disabilities? Do without the finalists from Castres (Barlot, Hounkpatin, Vanverberghe) and Montpellier (Haouas, A. Vincent, Bécognée, Rattez, Bouthier, without forgetting Willemse, injured anyway).
But also of most Toulouse and Rochelais people who have given a lot for their country this season. No Dupont or Ntamack, no Julien Marchand, Cyril Baille, no Jelonch, or Cros. Resting Thomas Ramos. Just like the Rochelais Grégory Alldritt, Uini Atonio and Jonathan Danty. Brice Dulin should have been, but the back of the European champions still suffers from the ribs. The three-quarter center of Racing 92, Gaël Fickou, the Bordelais Cameron Woki and the second line of the LOU, Romain Taofifenua (at his request concerning the latter) are also left to rest.
Five Toulousains are nevertheless present in this list: Aldegheri, Flament, Mauvaka, S. Tolofua and Lebel. To compensate for these absences, the coach mixed. Some executives automatically enrolled, ghosts (Matthieu Jalibert, Charles Ollivon or Virimi Vakatawa). And lots of new stuff. Decryption.
A handful of executives on the bridge
Package for the Six Nations Tournament, Matthieu Jalibert takes advantage of the exemption granted to Romain Ntamack, and the elimination of UBB in the semi-finals, to (re)take the opening. damian Sheepish, he refused to be put to rest. At the end of a season plagued by injuries, the Clermont winger will be on the trip. Just like the back of Perpignan Melvyn Jaminet. We can place the center of the UBB Yoram moefana in this list, he who started three of the five Grand Slam tricks last spring.
A pinch of ghosts
Charles Ollivon, after a year in the closet due to a serious knee injury, is finally back. As a captain or just a player? Galthié has not yet decided. Virimi Vakatawa, out of form for part of the season, will certainly have playing time in Japan. Louis Carbonel, overtaken by Ntamack, Jalibert, but also Hastoy, in the spirit of the tricolor staff, is offered an opportunity to shake up the hierarchy. On the ghost side, we can also mention the hookers Pierre Bourgarit (Rochelais Stadium) and Christopher Tolofua (RCT). Or the European champion pillar with Stade Rochelais Dany Priso.
Usual doubles who have everything to gain
Antoine Dupont resting, Maxime Lucu (UBB) and Baptiste Couilloud (LOU) will have a card to play in a group where the absence of RC Toulon scrum-half Baptiste Serin is obvious. On the front line, hooker Peato mauvaka (Toulouse), the Jean-Baptiste pillars Big (RCT) and Demba Bamba (LOU), who usually come into play, will have the opportunity to start. Among the regular members of the France group subscribed to the bench of substitutes or to the five places of reserves, we find the Toulouse winger Matthis LebelLyon third-line Dylan Dumbassthe Parisian Sekou Macalouthe Pau Section opener Antoine Hastoy…
Many newcomers
17 players without selection are part of this list. Some were expected. Thus the rear of the Racing Max Spring or his young teammate Nolann The Garrec. At only 19, he established himself as the first scrum half of the Hauts-de-Seine club. Racing Yoan number 8 Tangathe promising flanker of Stade Rochelais Matthias Haddad or the talented rear of the RCT Aymeric Luke were also announced.
Others are more unexpected. Like second row Rémi Picquette (Stade Rochelais) or number 8 of the UBB Bastien Vergnes-Taillefer. There are also four Pro D2 players. The Thomas Pillar Laclayat and young winger Enzo Reybier for Oyonnax; the Matis pillar yellow perch (19) and winger Rémy baget for Rowing Bayonne.
Surprise finally with the presence of a player from Castres Olympique, yet a finalist in the Top 14 next Friday (the Blues will fly to Japan this Wednesday): the young center (or opener) Louis Le Brun (20 years old, captain of the France U20 team). On which the staff of the CO apparently does not count for the last act of the season…
The complete list of 42 players
The 23 forwards
Pillars: Jean-Baptiste Gros (Toulon, 22, 19 sel.), Sipili Falatea (Clermont, 24, 2 sel.), Dany Priso (La Rochelle, 27, 14 sel.), Thomas Laclayat (Oyonnax / Pro D2, 24 years old, 0 sel.), Dorian Aldegheri (Toulouse, 28 years old, 8 sel.), Demba Bamba (Lyon, 23 years old, 23 sel.), Matis Perchaud (Bayonne / Pro D2, 19 years old, 0 sel. )
Hookers: Pierre Bourgarit (La Rochelle, 24, 5 sel.), Christopher Tolofua (Toulon, 28, 7 sel.), Peato Mauvaka (Toulouse, 25, 14 sel.)
Second lines: Thomas Lavault (La Rochelle, 22, 0 caps), Thibaud Flament (Toulouse, 24, 7 caps), Thomas Jolmes (Bordeaux-Bègles, 26, 0 caps), Rémi Picquette (La Rochelle , 27, 0 caps), Swan Rebbadj (Toulon, 27, 3 caps)
Third lines: Dylan Cretin (Lyon, 24, 18 caps), Charles Ollivon (Toulon, 29, 23 caps), Sekou Macalou (Stade français, 26, 6 caps), Yoan Tanga (Racing 92, 25 years, 0 sel.), Ibrahim Diallo (Racing 92, 23 years old, 1 sel.), Matthias Haddad (La Rochelle, 21 years old, 0 sel.) Selevasio Tolofua (Toulouse, 25 years old, 1 sel.), Bastien Vergnes- Taillefer (Bordeaux-Bègles, 25 years old, 0 sel.)
The 19 backs
Scrum-half: Baptiste Couilloud (Lyon, 24, 6 caps), Nolann Le Garrec (Racing 92, 20, 0 caps), Maxime Lucu (Bordeaux-Bègles, 29, 7 caps)
Fly-half: Antoine Hastoy (Pau, 24, 1 cap), Louis Carbonel (Toulon, 23, 5 caps), Matthieu Jalibert (Bordeaux-Bègles, 23, 15 caps), Louis Le Brun ( Castres, 20 years old, 0 sel.)
Centres: Virimi Vakatawa (Racing 92, 29, 30 caps), Tani Vili (Clermont, 21, 0 caps), Yoram Moefana (Bordeaux-Bègles, 21, 6 caps)
Wingers: Damian Penaud (Clermont, 25, 32 caps), Matthis Lebel (Toulouse, 22, 2 caps), Jules Favre (La Rochelle, 22, 0 caps), Rémy Baget (Bayonne / Pro D2, 24 years old, 0 caps), Enzo Reybier (Oyonnax / Pro D2, 20 years old, 0 caps)
Backs: Max Spring (Racing 92, 21, 0 caps), Melvyn Jaminet (Perpignan, 22, 11 caps), Romain Buros (Bordeaux-Bègles, 24, 0 caps), Aymeric Luc (Toulon, 24 years, 0 sel.).