Paris (AFP)
The Blues on their 31!
The 31 players of the XV of France, summoned to prepare for the match against Wales on Saturday, are all gathered in Marcoussis with the arrival on Monday of the latecomers and the arrival of the navigator Thomas Coville.
The Parisian Gaël Fickou as well as the Lyonnais Demba Bamba, Killian Geraci and Dylan Cretin, who all played on Sunday, are indeed the latest arrivals and have joined their partners, already disembarking at the CNR on Sunday.
The program for this first day of gathering included individual workshops based on each person's state of fitness.
The morning began with individual interviews with members of the staff of the France team before a few bodybuilding and physical preparation workshops.
"It was a little back to school. The players were happy to be together, very happy even," a witness told AFP.
In the afternoon, the navigator Thomas Coville came to speak with the Blues to share his experience on how to manage sleep during his crossings.
Coach Fabien Galthié and his staff want a group of 42 during training, eleven players under 20 but also from the Sevens rugby selection will join the group to participate in the famous "high intensity training".
The Blues are gathered in Marcoussis until Saturday, before facing Wales on October 24, in a preparation match.
Fabien Galthié and Raphaël Ibanez will announce on Thursday the list of 23 players selected to challenge the XV du Leek, the Blues' first match since a defeat in Scotland (28-17), on March 8 in the Tournament.
© 2020 AFP