Fabien Galthie is set to flex his ruthless edge when naming his France team to face the Springboks at the Stade de France on Saturday.
It is widely reported in France that Six Nations-winning captain Gregory Alldritt will be axed from the matchday 23 entirely.
The 28-year-old number eight has endured a slow start to the Top 14 season and has paid the price for his underwhelming form as well as the performances of Mickaël Guillard in the role against the All Blacks in July.
That is just one of the bold calls that Galthie is set to unveil ahead of the clash, if reports are accurate.
Antoine Dupont returns to training
Antoine Dupont’s return to action date is firmly set for early December, but the usual captain has linked up with the national team in training this week.
Respected publications L’Equipe and Midi Olympique both state that hasn’t changed despite the scrum-half being spotted donning the number 21 training bib on Tuesday.
But Galthie has made an intriguing call backing Nolann Le Garrec in the number nine jersey ahead of Bordeaux’s Maxime Lucu. The pair jostled for the opportunity to fill Dupont’s void during the Six Nations, with the latter finishing the tournament in the role, but the former looks to have got the nod off the back of his form in New Zealand.
However, there is a question mark on who Le Garrec will be partnered with in the half-backs, with neither publication making a prediction or identifying who was in the role at training.
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Joris Segonds has been ruled out through injury and was replaced in the training squad by Stade Français full-back Leo Barre. That leaves rookie Ugo Seunes and Toulouse stars Romain Ntamack and Thomas Ramos as the options in the squad, with Matthieu Jalibert also sidelined.
Ramos has been widely tipped to start at full-back, leaving Ntamack and Seunes, unless Galthie makes a bold call to move one of his scrum-halves into the position.
With Dupont and Alldritt out of the mix, centre Gaël Fickou is expected to captain the side once again and is set to be partnered by Toulouse’s Pierre-Louis Barassi.
The backline is set to be completed by Ramos and wingers Damian Penaud and Louis Bielle-Biarrey, who both started the 2023 World Cup quarter-final against the Springboks.
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The pack
Galthie is set to name an incredibly hefty pack, according to reports, as Guillard, who plays in the second-row for his club Lyon, is expected to pack down in a loose trio that includes flankers Anthony Jelonch and Paul Boudehent. Heavyweight second-rower Emmanuel Meafou is expected to be partnered by Thibaud Flament.
Like the Springboks, France are contending with a bit of a front-row crisis with tightheads Uini Atonio and Tevita Tatafu unavailable. Clermont’s Régis Montagne is tipped to be included in the starting XV after coming off the bench against the All Blacks, while Dorian Aldhegeri is predicted to provide cover from the bench. Montpellier’s Baptiste Erdocio has been reported as the starting loosehead with Jean-Baptiste Gros among the replacements.
During the Six Nations, Galthie made use of the 7-1 split on the bench, but according to both reports, he will reduce his forward replacements by one for the clash versus the Boks.
Guillaume Cramont is set to feature as the replacement hooker with Peato Mauvaka injured, with Galthie set to include locks Romain Taofifenua and Hugo Auradou with back-rower Oscar Jegou. Lucu and fellow Bordeaux back Nicolas Depoortère are predicted to be the replacement backs.
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Starting XV: 15 Thomas Ramos, 14 Damian Penaud, 13 Pierre-Louis Barassi, 12 Gaël Fickou (c), 11 Louis Bielle-Biarrey, 10 Ugo Seunes or Romain Ntamack, 9 Nolann Le Garrec, 8 Mickaël Guillard, 7 Anthony Jelonch, 6 Paul Boudehent, 5 Emmanuel Meafou, 4 Thibaud Flament, 3 Régis Montagne, 2 Julien Marchand, 1 Baptiste Erdocio
Replacements: 16 Guillaume Cramont, 17 Jean-Baptiste Gros, 18 Dorian Aldhegeri, 19 Romain Taofifenua, 20 Hugo Auradou, 21 Oscar Jegou, 22 Maxime Lucu, 23 Nicolas Depoortère
Venue: Stade de France, Saint-Denis
Date: Saturday, 8 November
Time: 22:10 (SAST), 21:10 (local), 20:10 (UK)
Referee: Angus Gardner (RA)
Assistant Referees: Nika Amashukeli (GRU), Christophe Ridley (RFU)
TMO: Ian Tempest (RFU)
FRPO: Andrew Jackson (RFU)