Antoine Dupont injured in the jaw, and probably not able to start the next match, against Italy on October 6 in Lyon, the staff must appoint a captain for this last match of the group stage.
Recently, when the Blues scrum-half was left to rest, several players had occupied this function. So on August 5 in Scotland, for the first preparation match for the World Cup, it was Brice Dulin who was promoted. But the Stade Rochelais fullback was ultimately not selected among the 33 players competing in the competition. On August 19, this time against Fiji, it was La Rochelle number 8, Grégory Alldritt, who had the honor of being named captain (for the first time).
During this World Cup, Fabien Galthié rotated his squad against Uruguay. And the coach had chosen the returning Anthony Jelonch as captain. During the match against Namibia, after the exit of Antoine Dupont, it was Charles Ollivon who recovered the armband for the end of the match. Just like when the scrum-half was sent off against South Africa during the November 2022 tour.
In the hierarchy of captains, it is also the Toulon third row who assists Antoine Dupont, he who had held this position from the start of Galthié’s mandate, in February 2020, until his injury in June 2021. Antoine Dupont then inherited it.
Depending on the team composition against Italy, it is therefore a player from the third row who will be named captain against Italy, with Ollivon holding the rope – provided he has recovered from his small calf strain – in front Alldritt and Jelonch.
The seven captains of the Galthié era: Antoine Dupont: 19 times Charles Ollivon: 15 times Anthony Jelonch: 4 times Gregory Aldritt: 1 time Baptiste Couilloud: 1 time Brice Dulin: 1 time Baptiste Serin: 1 time