After last Saturday’s infuriating defeat in Edinburgh (25-21), Fabien Galthié insisted that there was “not too much room for disappointment”. Still, he decided to profoundly modify his starting XV and recall his executives for the second of four preparation matches, this Saturday (9 p.m.) in Saint-Étienne, once again against Scotland. “We are faithful to our thoughts, and to what we had planned to do. There are no upheavals, there is a lot of stability, ”advances William Servat, the coach of the tricolor forwards.
In the end, only two players retain their starting place compared to last week. Cameron Woki (Racing 92) continues in the second row, this time associated with Thibaud Flament (Toulouse), revelation of the last Tournament, preferred to Bastien Chalureau (Montpellier). Flament and Woki, with fairly similar profiles, had already been associated last fall, against the Wallabies (30-29) and the Springboks (30-26).
The other player to keep his place is flanker Paul Boudehent (La Rochelle), very prominent at Murrayfield where he showed that he could be a credible alternative in the third row, in the absence of Anthony Jelonch, still in convalescence (knee), and of François Cros, hit in the adductors.
For the rest, we change everything and we recall what the staff now calls its “premium” team. Thus, we will find in Geoffroy-Guichard the Toulouse hinge Antoine Dupont and Romain Ntamack (Toulouse), the most used pair of centers since 2020, Gaël Fickou (Racing 92) and Jonathan Danty (La Rochelle) – who will be associated for the 11th times -, as well as the strong men of the pack: the third rows Grégory Alldritt (La Rochelle) and Charles Ollivon (Toulon) and the Toulouse front row Julien Marchand and Cyril Baille. Their friend Dorian Aldegheri returns to the post of right pillar, Uini Atonio (La Rochelle) being preserved on the bench of substitutes.
The return that will be observed more closely will be that of Gabin Villière. A basic Grand Slam man made in the Six Nations Tournament in 2022, the winger with the red helmet then chained glitches and relapses, playing only four matches last season with the Var club. But, proof that the staff holds him in high esteem, he was recalled and established for this second match against XV du Chardon.
He will compose the rear triangle of the Blues with two other essentials: the winger Damien Penaud (ex-Clermont, UBB) and the number 15 Thomas Ramos (Toulouse), whose place of number 1 at the back has not been given in question by Brice Dulin (La Rochelle), ultimately disappointing in Edinburgh.
It should be noted that the new kid who shone last week, winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey (UBB), continues and takes a place on the bench of substitutes. A new opportunity to show off before the World Cup (September 8-October 28). One of the other novices from last week, center Émilien Gailleton (Pau), was however not selected for this second match. The third line Yoann Tanga (La Rochelle), who had shone in Scotland, was hit in the pectoral. He did not participate in training for the week and is not on the match sheet.
Ramos – Penaud, Fickou, Danty, Villière – (o) Ntamack, (m) Dupont (cap) – Ollivon, Alldritt, Boudehent – Flament, Woki – Aldegheri, Marchand, BailleSubstitutes: Bourgarit, Gros, Atonio, Verhaeghe, Chalureau, Macalou , Lucu, Bielle-Biarrey