Marcoussis (France) (AFP)
only list of 31 names and five players with 0 selection.
The coach of the France team Fabien Galthié delivered his first list for seven months to face Wales on October 24, seven months after the last match of the Blues.
Fabien Galthié and Blues manager Raphaël Ibanez have been proclaiming it since taking office: they want to rely on the same framework throughout their term of office, which must guide them until the 2023 World Cup.
It is therefore not surprising if, from the starting XV which fell to Murrayfield (28-17) in March, only missing the Clermont winger Damian Penaud, injured, and the pillar of Bordeaux-Bègles Jefferson Poirot, gone to retirement.
"This selection took a little age (6 months) and a few selections (4 matches) on average," said Galthié.
Penaud suffers from a tibio-fibular sprain of an ankle and the Auvergne club had also announced on Monday that the 24-year-old player (17 selections) would be absent between six and eight weeks.
In June, Poirot (27, 36 caps), explained that he wanted to focus on his club, not considering himself 100% with the France team.
The Blues face the XV du Poireau on the 24th at the Stade de France, in a preparation match before completing the 2020 Six Nations Tournament with their late meeting against Ireland, the following week, on the 31st.
Among the newcomers, are the pillar George-Henri Colombe Reazel (Racing 92), the second row Killian Geraci (Lyon), the center Selevasio Tolofua (Toulouse), the winger Arthur Retière (La Rochelle) and the center Olivier Klemenczak ( Racing 92).
- Klemenczak and Colombe Reazel -
But not all are housed in the same boat: Geraci, Tolofua and Retière have already passed through Marcoussis in the extended group.
Only Klemenczak and Colombe Reazel were never called in A.
"Olivier Klemenczak is good and consistent in Racing, that's what we like. We had him on our list since we took office. We wanted four crosses and Hériteau's injury pushes us to give Klemenczak a chance", explained Galthié.
The coach also confided that Colombe Reazel had been "on our radar for some time".
At 22, the young pillar of Racing 92 is making a convincing start to the season under the colors of the European Rugby Cup finalist.
"Colombe is in phase with what we are looking for in the profile of the players. If Laurent Travers trusts him in Racing, it is no coincidence. Colombe has been on the radar for a while. He was trained in the games of Pro D2 (Nevers, Editor's note) and I like this course. It logically fits into our group and will have, in the near future, the possibility of developing, "he added.
After facing Wales and Ireland, the French will tackle the Autumn Nations Cup, an eight-way competition with the Six Nations, as well as Fiji and Georgia.
The French will face Fiji (November 15), Scotland (November 22) and Italy (November 28) in Group B, before challenging a team from Pool A, that of England, in a classification match. from Ireland and Wales.
Unless the legal battle between the LNR and the FFR, around the provision of internationals, changes Fabien Galthié's famous "arrow of time".
The list:
Pillars: Cyril Baille (Stade Toulouse, 20 sel.), Jean-Baptiste Gros (Toulon, 2 sel.), Demba Bamba (Lyon, 11 sel.), George-Henri Colombe (Racing 92, 0 sel.), Mohamed Haouas ( Montpellier, 4 sel.)
Hookers: Camille Chat (Racing 92, 27 sel.), Julien Marchand (Stade Toulouse, 6 sel), Peato Mauvaka (Stade Toulouse, 4 sel.)
Second rows: Bernard Le Roux (Racing 92, 41 sel.), Paul Willemse (Montpellier, 9 sel.), Killian Geraci (Lyon, 0 sel.), Romain Taofifenua (Toulon, 17 sel.), François Cros (Stade toulousain, 6 select)
Third lines: Charles Ollivon (Toulon, 15 sel.), Cameron Woki (Bordeaux-Bègles, 2 sel.), Dylan Cretin (Lyon, 2 sel.), Gregory Aldrittt (La Rochelle, 15 sel.), Selevasio Tolofua (Stade Toulouse, 0 sel.)
Scrum backers: Antoine Dupont (Stade Toulousain, 24 sel.), Baptiste Serin (Toulon, 37 sel.)
Forerunners: Matthieu Jalibert (Bordeaux-Bègles, 5 sel.), Romain Ntamack (Stade toulousain, 16 sel.)
Centers: Arthur Vincent (Montpellier, 4 sel.), Gaël Fickou (Stade français, 55 sel.), Olivier Klemenczak (Racing 92, 0 sel.), Virimi Vakatawa (Racing 92, 24 sel.)
Wingers: Vincent Rattez (Montpellier, 5 sel.), Teddy Thomas (Racing 92, 19 sel.), Arthur Retière (La Rochelle, 0 sel.)
Rear: Anthony Bouthier (Montpellier, 4 sel), Thomas Ramos (Stade Toulouse, 11 sel.).
© 2020 AFP