A combination of injuries and a Covid-19 outbreak have forced France into nine changes among their 42-man squad gathered ahead of the 2022 Guinness Six Nations.
Head coach Fabien Galthié named his initial squad earlier this week but ahead of meeting in Aubagne on Sunday, an FFR statement revealed that nine players will miss the start of the training camp.
Experienced prop Uini Atonio and supremely talented back-rower Cameron Woki are out with injuries while 2020 Guinness Six Nations Player of the Championship Antoine Dupont, Romain Ntamack, Francois Cros, Gaëtan Barlot, Anthony Jelonch, Cyril Baille and Bernard Le Roux all returned a positive Covid-19 test.
In their place, props Dorian Aldegheri and Jérôme Rey, hooker Pierre Bourgarit, locks Swan Rebbadj and Thomas Lavault, back-rowers Yacouba Camara and Paul Boudehent, scrum-half Léo Coly and fly-half Louis Carbonel have all been called up.
Of the new call-ups, Coly is perhaps the most surprising as although the 22-year-old scrum-half shone for France Under-20s a few years ago, and has also appeared for the French Barbarians, he plays his club rugby for Stade Montois in the French second tier – albeit he has been the star turn in Pro D2 this season.
The Covid-positive players will have the opportunity to re-join the group once they have recovered, with Les Bleus beginning their 2022 Championship against Italy in Paris on Sunday February 6.
France’s amended 42-man squad for training camp
Forwards
ALDEGHERI Dorian (Stade Toulousain)ALLDRITT Grégory (Stade Rochelais)BAMBA Demba (LOU Rugby)BIBI BIZIWU Daniel (ASM Clermont Auvergne)BOUDEHENT Paul (Stade Rochelais)BOURGARIT Pierre (Stade Rochelais)CAMARA Yacouba (Montpellier Hérault Rugby)CRETIN Dylan (LOU Rugby)DIALLO Ibrahim (Racing 92)FLAMENT Thibaud (Stade Toulousain)GROS Jean-Baptiste (RC Toulon)HAOUAS Mohamed (Montpellier Hérault Rugby)LAVAULT Thomas (Stade Rochelais)MACALOU Sekou (Stade Français Paris)MARCHAND Julien (Stade Toulousain)MAUVAKA Peato (Stade Toulousain)REBBADJ Swan (RC Toulon)REY Jérôme (LOU Rugby)TANGA Yoan (Racing 92)TAOFIFENUA Romain (LOU Rugby)VANVERBERGHE Florent (Castres Olympique)VERHAEGHE Florian (Montpellier Hérault Rugby)WILLEMSE Paul (Montpellier Hérault Rugby)
Backs
BERDEU Léo (LOU Rugby)CARBONEL Louis (RC Toulon)COLY Léo (Stade Montois Rugby) COUILLOUD Baptiste (LOU Rugby)DANTY Jonathan (Stade Rochelais)DULIN Brice (Stade Rochelais)FAVRE Jules (Stade Rochelais)FICKOU Gaël (Racing 92)HASTOY Antoine (Section Paloise)JAMINET Melvyn (USA Perpignan)LEBEL Matthis (Stade Toulousain)LUCU Maxime (Union Bordeaux Bègles)MOEFANA Yoram (Union Bordeaux Bègles)PENAUD Damian (ASM Clermont Auvergne)RAMOS Thomas (Stade Toulousain)THOMAS Teddy (Racing 92)VAKATAWA Virimi (Racing 92)VILI Tani (ASM Clermont Auvergne)VILLIERE Gabin (RC Toulon)
