France XV team announced for Fiji test in Lyon as Gourgues starts first Test at centre, Digi Mart USA News (Lyon, France): France will host Fiji on Saturday evening at 9:10 p.m. in Lyon to open its 2026/2027 season, the first stage of a path that leads to the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.
In the first winter-version match of the new competition, head coach Fabien Galthié has had to do without a significant number of his senior players.
Among the absentees are Fabien Brau-Boirie, the Meafou-Flament pairing, Matthieu Jalibert, who has just received the Midi Olympique Or award and has not completely ruled out a return during the tour, and Oscar Jegou, who was ruled out on Wednesday evening. Galthié has described the squad as made up of “survivors,” and the French squad clearly lacks depth.
Several established names are nonetheless available, including the Toulouse halves pairing of captain Antoine Dupont and Romain Ntamack. The back three is also built around Théo Attissogbe, flanked by Pau’s Grandidier-Nkanang and Louis Bielle-Biarrey, the reigning holder of the Six Nations player of the year title.
In midfield, young Kalvin Gourgues, 21, will make his first start for France after four appearances off the bench. He will partner Bordeaux’s Yoram Moefana, who played at 12 in the three summer matches.
Émilien Gailleton and Maxime Lucu will be the only backs on the bench.
Florian Verhaeghe and Mickaël Guillard will form a lock pairing not seen before, with Flament and Meafou absent. Guillard, from Montpellier, was in the Southern Hemisphere this summer, while Lyon’s Verhaeghe will earn his 20th cap in his home city.
In the back row, François Cros will wear the No. 8 shirt, a position he rarely plays, as he is normally a winger for Toulouse’s back row. He will benefit from the flanker Paul Boudehent at No. 7 and Cameron Woki at No. 6.
On the bench, Ollivon will be joined by Capilla, who replaces Jegou. In the front row, Jean-Baptiste Gros will provide experience with 45 caps.
The Toulon prop will be partnered by Sipili Falatea, a two-time European champion with Bordeaux-Bègles, who will wear the No. 3 shirt for the first time since July 2021. Régis Montagne, returning from injury, will be among the replacements.
At hooker, Maxime Lamothe will start ahead of Peato Mauvaka, who usually plays as the back-up to Julien Marchand. The absences are numerous, but the players selected will have the difficult task of setting a strong course before the most anticipated match of the window, against South Africa on November 13 at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis.
Starting XV: 15. Attissogbe; 14.
Grandidier-Nkanang, 13. Gourgues, 12.
Moefana, 11. Bielle-Biarrey; 10.
Ntamack, 9. Dupont (captain); 7.
Boudehent, 8. Cros, 6.
Woki; 5. Guillard, 4.
Verhaeghe; 3. Falatea, 2.
Lamothe, 1. Gros.
Replacements: 16. Mauvaka, 17.
Poirot, 18. Montagne, 19.
Ollivon, 20. Staniforth, 21.
Capilla, 22. Lucu, 23.
Gailleton.
