We take (almost) the same ones and start over. Fabien Galthié and Raphaël Ibanez unveiled, Thursday, November 10, the composition of the XV of France which will face South Africa, Saturday for the second meeting of the 2022 Autumn Nations Cup in Marseille (live on France 2 and France .TV). Unsurprisingly, the tricolor staff made no change in their starting team compared to that of the eleventh consecutive victory of the Blues, against Australia (30-29), last Saturday. Jonathan Danty, busy with the birth of his first child this week, was eventually kept on the team.
The France team has not beaten the Springboks, reigning world champions, since 2009, and therefore remains on a series of seven consecutive defeats. “They are magnificent fighters, and we are ready for the challenge”underlined Fabien Galthié, the coach, about this confrontation during the group’s announcement press conference. “Saturday, we are going to shoot first. We have a very strong desire to impose our game. Opposite are the world champions.”
Next step: the @Springboks at the@orangevelodrome,
See you in Marseilles! #FRAAFS #XVdeFrance #Don’tDoXV pic.twitter.com/sAQOdfqZ3K
– France Rugby (@FranceRugby) November 10, 2022
A historic victory against the Wallabies and no physical problem to report: the week of the staff of the XV of France was rather quiet. Fabien Galthié thus appeared more relaxed and serene than ever in front of the journalists. He therefore confirmed the trend: to challenge the world champions, no change will be made in the starting fifteen.
“We are satisfied with the behavior of this French team which managed to beat Australia“, quickly declared the coach who also recalled that “the most important thing is to win the matches, especially when they are difficult.“To achieve this, there was therefore no question of changing anything, including Jonathan Danty who did not train for the week. Fabien Galthié confirmed that the three-quarter center from La Rochelle was going to participate well in the n the final session, Friday, in Marseille, Mathis Lebel, tipped to replace him, will therefore not be on the trip, while Yoram Moefana will once again keep the left wing.
A usual Dupont-Ntamack hinge, a classic third line with a found Charles Ollivon, and a pack of forwards “solid“, you have to turn to the substitutes’ bench to find the only adjustments. Montpellier’s Bastien Chalureau (second row) and Rochelais Reda Wardi (left pillar), at 30 and 27 respectively, should indeed experience their first cape with the tunic of the XV of France. For the first, “it’s no coincidence, because for two years, in Montpellier, he has transformed and taken on a dimension that allows him today to put on this jersey“, justified Fabien Galthié. Dany Priso and Killian Geraci are therefore ejected from the bench in relation to the match against the Wallabies.
The tricolor coach took the opportunity to remind that he always wanted to count on “forwards that start out strong, and forwards that end up just as strong“. This will be one of the main keys against the formidable South Africans who will want to raise their heads after the defeat in Ireland last weekend.
Ramos – Penaud, Fickou, Danty, Moefana – (o) Ntamack, (m) Dupont (cap) – Alldritt, Ollivon, Jelonch – Flament, Woki – Atonio, Marchand, Baille.
Finishers: Mauvaka, Wardi, Falatea, R. Taofifenua, Chalureau, Macalou, Lucu and Jalibert