Marcoussis (France) (AFP)
Racingman Teddy Thomas and Montpellier Vincent Rattez will be tenured in the wings, according to the composition of the XV of France announced by coach Fabien Galthié on Thursday, two days before the Blues match against Wales.
France will play their first meeting in more than seven months and a loss in Scotland.
The opposition against the XV of Leek will serve as a preparation match for the shock against Ireland, on the 31st, at the end of the 2020 Six Nations Tournament.
For this "warm up", the XV which will start against the Welsh will therefore be identical to the one which launched the Galthié era with a victory against England (24-17) on February 2.
Injured against Italy (35-22) in the second match, Vincent Rattez (28 years old, 5 caps), now in Montpellier, will therefore find his place in the wing, just like Racingman Teddy Thomas (27 years old, 19 caps) ), who was not in Scotland (28-17), for the last match.
The rest of the team will therefore be familiar with a 100% Toulouse hinge formed by Antoine Dupont (23 years old, 24 caps) and Romain Ntamack (21 years old, 16 caps), captain Charles Ollivon (27 years old, 15 caps) in third line, the Montpellier and revelation of the last Tournament Anthony Bouthier (28 years old, 4 selections) at the back, or the inexhaustible Bernard Le Roux (31 years old, 41 selections), fresh finalist of the European Cup with the Racing 92 in the second row.
Composition of the XV of France against Wales:
Bouthier - Thomas, Vakatawa, Fickou, Rattez - (o) Ntamack, (m) Dupont - Ollivon (cap.), Alldritt, Cros - Willemse, Le Roux - Haouas, Marchand, Baille
Replacements: Gros, Chat, Bamba, Taofifenua, Cretin, Serin, Vincent, Ramos
© 2020 AFP