XV of France: should we worry about the many injuries before the Six Nations Tournament?

Jean-Baptiste Sarrazin 9:41 p.m., January 16, 2023, modified at 9:44 p.m., January 16, 2023

The XV of France has seen better days.

A few weeks before the start of the Six Nations Tournament, coach Fabien Galthié will have to deal without certain French executive players.

Absences that raise the question of replacements.

A problem mentioned in the program 

(every evening from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.). 

Galthié and his staff will have to deal with many absentees for the start of the competition: in the center, Virimi Vakatawa (Racing 92) had to end his career, Arthur Vincent (Montpellier) and Jonathan Danty (La Rochelle) are injured , prop Jean-Baptiste Gros (Toulon) has already forfeited, as have hookers Pierre Bourgarit (La Rochelle) and Peato Mauvaka (Toulouse) or second lines Killian Geraci (Lyon) and Florian Verhaeghe (Montpellier)… The list is therefore long.

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Uncertainties 

Add uncertainties around the winger of Toulon Gabin Villière, who chained the glitches, of his counterpart of Clermont Damian Penaud (ischios), of the pillar of La Rochelle Uini Atonio (knee), of the third line of Toulouse François Cros (knee) , UBB opener Matthieu Jalibert (ischios), La Rochelle third line Yoann Tanga (pectoral muscle), Lyon scrum-half Baptiste Couilloud (ischios)... and the 2023 Tournament, with its three trips, already has the air of trap competition.

In short, to support the executives Antoine Dupont, Gaël Fickou, Grégory Alldritt, Julien Marchand or Romain Ntamack, new faces could therefore appear, the center of Pau Emilien Gailleton (19 years old) in the lead.

The opening half of La Rochelle Antoine Hastoy (25 years old, 2 selections), the winger of Toulouse Mathis Lebel (23 years old, 5 selections), the third line of Montpellier Alexandre Bécognée (26 years old, 1 selection), the pillar from La Rochelle Reda Wardi (27 years old, 2 selections) or the 3rd line of Pau Jordan Joseph (22 years old) will also have a card to play.

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"Zero worry"

"We are closely following Julien Delbouis (French Stadium), Léo Barré (French Stadium), Louis Bielle-Biarrey (UBB), Romain Buros (UBB), Ethan Dumortier (Lyon). On the forwards, there is not too much new faces in sight but real emulation, especially in the second line, with Paul Willemse (Montpellier) who is coming back, Bastien Chalureau (Montpellier) who has passed a milestone, Emmanuel Meafou (Toulouse) who is being watched closely, who does not is not yet selectable but it will be soon", moreover recently confided Galthié, before quoting Dimitri Delibes (Toulouse), Pierre-Louis Barassi (Toulouse) or Tani Vili (UBB).

Oyonnax pillar Thomas Laclayat (25), Pro D2's best test scorer, could also be called up, after being called up during the summer tour in Japan and then during the fall tests.

"The workforce is so large that it opens up the field of possibilities for outsiders", reassured Manon Fossat in

.

A feeling shared by Philippe Fleys: "Zero worry. We have exceptional potential. We have a reservoir of young talent that the world envies us."

Proof of the importance of the 2023 Tournament, the Blues will leave for an internship in Cape Breton (Landes) on Sunday and will not return to Marcoussis before going to Rome.

Defending champions, the Blues of Fabien Galthié are aiming for a second Grand Slam in a row, a first since the 1997-1998 double of the Blues of Jean-Claude Skrela a few years before the integration of Italy.