Paul Willemse suspended, Romain Taofifenua, Thibaud Flament and Emmanuel Meafou absent: the Blues staff will have to deal with a limited choice to constitute the second line which will challenge Scotland on Saturday, during the second day of the Six Nations Tournament.
Appearing dejected on the screens of the Vélodrome stadium Friday evening, Paul Willemse (31 years old, 32 caps) will have to wait to forget this black Friday.
Beyond the crushing defeat conceded against the XV du Trèfle (38-17), the second line was forced to leave its partners definitively at 14 from the 32nd minute. Guilty of an uncontrolled tackle on the third row Caelan Doris, the Montpellier player received a second yellow card, synonymous with definitive exclusion even before his transformation into a direct red by the bunker.
Willemse is therefore automatically suspended for the match in Edinburgh and should see his sanction increased by the Tournament disciplinary committee.
To this absence are added those of Flament, Meafou and Taofifenua, already unavailable against Ireland. Replaced on the bench by Posolo Tuilagi on Friday, Lyonnais Taofifenua (33 years old, 49 selections) will not yet have recovered from his leg infection this weekend.
Meafou (25 years old, 0 selection), injured in the knee, and Flament (26 years old, 24 selection), injured in the foot with Stade Toulouse, are still too tight for the trip to Murrayfield, but could make their return against Italy, February 24.
It remains for the management of the Blues to choose between Paul Gabrillagues, Cameron Woki, Tuilagi and the Toulonnais Matthias Halagahu, called on Sunday in the group of seven players who will join the XV of France on Monday, to form the team in the second line.
Surprise guest on Galthié’s list, Gabrillagues (30 years old, 17 selections) was no more to his advantage than the rest of the blue troops against Ireland. But author of a strong test, he should continue against Scotland, taking advantage of the coach’s desire not to upset everything.
There are also few doubts for Halagahu (22 years old, 0 selections) who should appear, at best, on the bench against the Chardon XV. Very successful with Toulon since the start of the season, the second row has for the moment been confined to the role of training partner.
The place to accompany Gabrillagues in the starting XV on Saturday should therefore be played out between the aerial Woki (1.96 m, 111 kg) and the massive Tuilagi (1.92 m, 145 kg).
Victim of the priority given to the fight against Ireland, Woki (25 years old, 28 selections) could be an interesting asset in touch against Scotland, as the Blues have sunk in this sector at the Vélodrome stadium.
But despite his greater experience in Blue, the Racingman could once again be relegated to the bench by Tuilagi (19 years old, 1 sel.) whose profile corresponds more to what Galthié has been looking for in a right-handed second row since the start of its mandate.
Arriving as a training partner for a day during the first week of the rally at the end of January, the colossal Tuilagi, crowned junior world champion with the Bleuets in July, impressed from the start.
“It’s a truck,” commented center Yoram Moefana. “A rare profile” for third row François Cros: “he has a lot of power and it can be a great weapon for us”.
Coming in place of Gabrillagues against Ireland, the nephew of the English center Manu Tuilagi (32 years old, 59 selections) did not disappoint in a match that was already off to a bad start, paving the way for a first start against the Scotland. The first training sessions scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday should provide the first elements of an answer before the announcement of the composition on Thursday noon.
