Before the world at home, place at the Six Nations Tournament.
The French rugby team, chasing the title, meets from Monday January 23 in Capbreton (Landes, south-west of the country) for a preparation course for the tournament which will begin on February 5 in Rome against the 'Italy.
To compensate for the cascade of winter injuries, the coach of the XV of France, Fabien Galthié, summoned eight "little new ones", a figure which should not have been revised upwards after the meetings of this weekend.
>> To read also in the XV of the month: the Blues focused on their quest for a first coronation at the Mondial-2023
📍 𝑰𝒍𝒔 𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒕 𝒍𝒂̀!
😍
Our Blues have arrived in Capbreton!
The preparation of the #SixNations 2⃣0⃣2⃣3⃣ can begin!
#XVdeFrance #NeFaisonsXV pic.twitter.com/ai4FjUugzm
– France Rugby (@FranceRugby) January 23, 2023
A fire attack
If there is indeed a reason for satisfaction for the management of the Blues as their first match of the Tournament in Rome looms on February 5, it is the group of forwards, whose performances were again enormous during the last weekend before the camp, during the Champions Cup.
Thus, Stade Toulouse hooker Julien Marchand (17 balls played by hand, 52 meters gained, 10 tackles and 3 turnovers won against Munster) and the third line of La Rochelle Grégory Alldritt (1 try, 19 balls played, 46 meters won against Northampton), to name a few, were each named "man of the match".
In the absence of the second or third row of Racing 92 Cameron Woki, forfeit, it was Sekou Macalou who distinguished himself, in the Challenge Cup with the French Stadium against Treviso: 1 try, 33 meters won, 5 balls taken in touch and 2 passes after contact.
And what about the third row Anthony Jelonch, Toulouse's best tackler (14) on Sunday, and the "veteran" Paul Willemse (13 tackles, 14 balls played by hand against the London Irish)?
Who behind Antoine Dupont in hinge?
If in the position of N.9 holder, the Toulousain Antoine Dupont, still decisive on Sunday (9 defenders beaten!), Still arouses unanimity to the point of having seen his captaincy extended, the name of his understudy is debated, in the absence of UBB scrum-half Maxime Lucu, injured.
Between Nolann Le Garrec (20), indisputable holder at Racing 92 as on Saturday against Leinster, and Léo Coly (23), who faces competition from Cobus Reinach in Montpellier, the staff of the Blues will have to decide.
At the post of opening half, the usual holder Romain Ntamack, who also had the right to take a few days off during the end-of-year celebrations, before achieving an unusual poor performance against La Rochelle in the league on January 7 (only 48 minutes of play, first yellow card of his career), seems below his usual level after having lived through an already mixed autumn.
The back lines, cause for concern
It is finally within the back lines that the coaching of the Blues is in the dark.
Not only because of the large number of injured or uncertain in positions 10 to 15 (Arthur Vincent / MHR, Jonathan Danty / La Rochelle, Gabin Villière / Toulon, Damian Penaud / Clermont ...), but also by the damage to the mind that the last two days of the Champions Cup have caused in some people.
Thus, the "taulier" Gaël Fickou, dean of the Blues with his 74 selections, has been experiencing difficult times for a few weeks with his Racing 92 club. Eliminated in the Champions Cup on Saturday, the Ile-de-France club has had a series of disappointments in the championship: time to start a campaign with the Blues for Fickou.
His partner in the center Yoram Moefana not being at best either in club (the UBB recorded a 4th defeat in 4 matches Saturday in Gloucester), there remains the always regular Melvyn Jaminet, who still slammed 15 points Sunday against the Munster.
In the meantime, why not, the novices Emilien Gailleton (Pau) and Ethan Dumortier (Lyon).
With AFP
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