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Villière and Jalibert return to France squad for Wales

Gabin Villiere 6/2/2022
Matthieu Jalibert and Gabin Villière have both been included in the French squad to prepare for their Guinness Six Nations Round 4 clash with Wales.

Matthieu Jalibert and Gabin Villière have both been included in the French squad to prepare for their Guinness Six Nations Round 4 clash with Wales.

The 42-man squad will meet back up at the French national base in Marcoussis on Saturday, with Jalibert and Villière now both fit to take their place.

Winger Villière had been a star performer in the opening two rounds of the Championship, scoring a hat-trick against Italy before being named Guinness Six Nations Player of the Round for his display in the 30-24 win over Ireland.

He was then absent from the win away in Scotland because of a fractured sinus, but has returned to training with club side Toulon.

Jalibert, meanwhile, has yet to feature in the 2022 Championship as he recovered from a hamstring problem he picked up in mid-January.

The fly-half is expected to feature for club side Bordeaux-Bègles on Saturday in their clash with Pau before linking up with the national side.

The 23 players who overcame Scotland 36-17 in Round 3 are all included, with Antoine Dupont set to lead the side once again for the trip to Cardiff next Friday.

Another player who returns to the squad is fit-again winger Teddy Thomas, who has not yet appeared in the Championship, while Bordeaux lock Thomas Jolmès is called into the national squad for the first time.

France squad to prepare for Wales clash:

Forwards: ALLDRITT Grégory (Stade Rochelais), ATONIO Uini (Stade Rochelais), BAILLE Cyril (Stade Toulousain), BAMBA Demba (LOU Rugby), BARLOT Gaëtan (Castres Olympique), BECOGNEE Alexandre (Montpellier Herault Rugby), BOUDEHENT Paul (Stade Rochelais), CRETIN Dylan (LOU Rugby), CROS François (Stade Toulousain), FALATEA Sipili (ASM Clermont Auvergne), FLAMENT Thibaud (Stade Toulousain), GROS Jean-Baptiste (RC Toulon), HAOUAS Mohamed (Montpellier Herault Rugby), JELONCH Anthony (Stade Toulousain), JOLMES Thomas (Union Bordeaux Bègles), JOSEPH Jordan (Section Paloise), LAVAULT Thomas (Stade Rochelais), MARCHAND Julien (Stade Toulousain), MAUVAKA Peato (Stade Toulousain), REY Jerôme (LOU Rugby), TAOFIFENUA Romain (LOU Rugby), WILLEMSE Paul (Montpellier Herault Rugby), WOKI Cameron (Union Bordeaux Bègles)

Backs: BARASSI Pierre-Louis (LOU Rugby), COUILLOUD Baptiste (LOU Rugby), DANTY Jonathan (Stade Rochelais), DULIN Brice (Stade Rochelais), DUPONT Antoine (Stade Toulousain), FAVRE Jules (Stade Rochelais), FICKOU Gaël (Racing 92), JALIBERT Matthieu (Union Bordeaux Bègles), JAMINET Melvyn (USA Perpignan), LEBEL Matthis (Stade Toulousain), LUCU Maxime (Union Bordeaux Bègles), MOEFANA Yoram (Union Bordeaux Bègles), NTAMACK Romain (Stade Toulousain), PENAUD Damian (ASM Clermont Auvergne), RAMOS Thomas (Stade Toulousain), TAOFIFENUA Donovan (Racing 92), THOMAS Teddy (Racing 92), VAKATAWA Virimi (Racing 92), VILLIERE Gabin (RC Toulon)

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