Marcoussis (France) (AFP)

Usual "finisher" of the XV of France, the third line Dylan Cretin will don the costume of holder, Saturday against Wales, for the fourth time in five games, a promotion linked to the injury of François Cros but also to his skill in the aerial game.

The role of replacement can be crucial.

The young player from Lyon, 23, was able to verify it against Ireland (35-27) in October at the Stade de France.

Returned in the 34th minute to replace Cros, hit in the right foot, Cretin did the job with panache and without fuss.

And this in a decisive match for the Six Nations Tournament.

He has since chained the meetings despite competition from the solid Anthony Jelonch: against Scotland in November, reaching the three leaves of matches in the Autumn Nations Cup, then against Italy, Ireland (substitute) and England in the 2021 Tournament.

His mobility in defense and his efficiency against the sidelines almost made us forget the absence of Cros, yet an indisputable holder since Fabien Galthié took office in 2019.

Before that, Cretin, who will live on Saturday at the Stade de France his ninth selection, had only played ends of matches: replacing at the start of the Galthié era, he celebrated his first tenure in front of Scotland (22-15 ) in November before scoring his first international try in the next match, in Italy (50-10), in February.

The Haut-Savoyard embodies this new generation of players propelled by the coach.

But until now he has been a shadow player, "happy to play at a higher level than the championship".

"It's stimulating," adds the Lyonnais, who "once inside" said he had "no longer asked too many questions".

- Cretin, king of the skies -

"You have to go for it and work hard every week in training to be as ready as possible for the matches," he explained recently.

Karim Ghezal, co-trainer of the conquest of the XV of France, was not mistaken in including him among "the leaders of touch".

He knew the young third row from having seen him at work for three years when he was assistant coach in Lyon (2016-2019).

It is in the Rhône that Cretin made his classes at the professional level, after training at RC Annemasse, the club in his hometown.

At LOU, the third line, slender at the start, has grown thicker in every sense of the word.

He was twenty kilos less when he arrived (1.95 m, 101 kilos today).

A work that weighs both in defense but also in the contacts on the keys.

"It's something that we really work with Karim (Ghezal). We know that the touches are very important launches in rugby today. Depriving a team of ammunition is always interesting," said t -he.

Competition for his post?

"We pull each other up. In any case, we get along very well and, in training, we always push each other. Whether it's on small exercises or group training, we push ourselves upwards and we are always looking to be the best, ”he says.

"It's always extremely important to have competition within a group in order to be able to pull yourself up. I think it's always the best. On that, it's clear that it makes progress. in any case ", adds the person, who will be able to rub shoulders with one of the world references, the Welsh captain Alun Wyn Jones and his 147 selections (newer with the Lions).

A revealer.

© 2021 AFP