End of uncertainties. Contrary to his habits, Fabien Galthié had mixed things up on Tuesday during the first high-intensity training of the week, by mixing starters and substitutes into two teams. Back to normal, this Wednesday, in front of a large audience at the CNR, with what is emerging as the starting XV which should start on Sunday, at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff (4 p.m.), against the Welsh. With no less than seven changes that could take place in the starting team.
Returning from injury (gap in the thigh), Grégory Alldritt will logically regain his place as number 8 and his captain’s stripes. At the back, Julien Marchand, recently returned to competition after suffering a hamstring injury, should regain his starting place, after starting on the bench during the first three matches. His understudy Peato Mauvaka, less visible during this Tournament than during the last World Cup, becomes a substitute again.
For this fourth match of the Six Nations Tournament, the French staff had to deal with two significant absences, those of fly-half Matthieu Jalibert (injury) and center Jonathan Danty (suspension). Which led to a little game of musical chairs. If we rely on the play of the blue bibs (those of potential starters), Thomas Ramos, usual full-back, should start at number 10 and Nicolas Depoortère, recent U20 world champion and author of a thunderous start to the season, should be aligned in the center of the attack, alongside Gaël Fickou.
Depoortère, who scored a resounding double against Racing 92 with UBB on Sunday, was preferred to his club teammate Yoram Moefana and Palois Emilien Gailleton. The repositioning of Thomas Ramos at the opening should lead to the tenure of Parisian Léo Barré at the back against the XV du Poireau. According to indications from this Wednesday, Nolann Le Garrec should honor his first tenure at the scrum, preferred to Maxime Lucu, disappointing since the start of this Six Nations in the absence of Antoine Dupont, who shines with the French team at 7.
The other big question concerned the composition of the second line. The choice of the staff should fall on an Emmanuel Meafou-Thibaud Flament team, who returned to Marcoussis this week after being injured. Flamant said Tuesday about Meafou, his teammate in Toulouse, of Australian origin but recently naturalized French: “I have a lot of fun playing alongside him. We are complementary. But he’s not just powerful. He is quite mobile and athletic for his size.
In history, the losers would be Posolo Tuilagi (who was spared on Tuesday and Wednesday) and Cameron Woki, a regular in the “cage”. Romain Taofifenua should retain his role as finisher. In the end, almost half of the team which drew against Italy (13-13) would have to be changed.
The probable composition
Barré – Penaud, Fickou, Depoortère, Bielle-Biarrey – (o) Ramos, (m) Le Garrec – Cros, Alldritt (cap), Ollivon – Meafou, Flament – Atonio, Marchand, Baille