The manager of the XV of France Raphaël Ibanez indicated Thursday that the third line Anthony Jelonch, who joined the tricolor group at the start of the week five months after his left knee injury, had “validated everything that was expected of him” . “We cannot be categorical but he is good, very very good. Anthony validated over the three days lived together everything that was expected of him, on the content which was still regulated, ”said Ibanez.
At the end of February, the 27-year-old Toulouse third line, part of the Blues (25 selections), had suffered a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament against Scotland. Operated in early March, he had started a race against time to be available for the World Cup (September 8-October 28).
Absent from the initial list of 42 players at the start of preparation in July, Jelonch joined the XV of France on Monday in Capbreton (Landes) on the day of the announcement of the package of Romain Ntamack, his teammate at Stade Toulousain. He took part in collective training on Tuesday but did not take part in high-intensity training on Wednesday.
Coach Fabien Galthié will unveil his list of 33 players selected for the World Cup on Monday, two days after the match against Fiji in Nantes, before the final dress rehearsal against Australia on Sunday August 27 at the Stade de France.
