XV de France reserve players kept for Fiji match affecting Top 14 clubs, Digi Mart USA News (Lyon, France): Coach Fabien Galthié has decided to keep five additional players in the French national rugby squad to prepare for Saturday evening’s match against Fiji at the Groupama Stadium in Lyon. Although they are not on the match sheet, these five reserves will remain at the staff’s disposal and will watch the game from the stands.
The decision is a blow to several Top 14 clubs, which will be deprived of their services for the ninth round of the championship. While fourteen players have been released to return to their respective clubs, five others must wait with the French team.
Their presence in Lyon will give the selector additional options in case of a last-minute withdrawal.
Among the players affected is Grégory Alldritt. The Stade Rochelais flanker, long a mainstay of the French team, is not among the 23 players selected to face Fiji.
He will nonetheless remain with the France group, which will prevent his club from counting on him this weekend.
The situation is similar for Paul Graou. The Stade Toulousain scrum-half will not be on the match sheet but must remain in Lyon.
La Section Paloise is particularly affected, as two of its players have been kept: right prop Thomas Laclayat and fly-half Axel Despérès. Finally, Aviron Bayonnais hooker Guillaume Cramont completes the list of reserves.
The decision will have direct consequences for the preparation of the Top 14’s ninth round. La Section Paloise is the most affected club with two players retained, while Stade Rochelais, Stade Toulousain and Aviron Bayonnais must each do without one additional player.
These five players are not expected to take part in the match against Fiji unless there is a last-minute change. They will nonetheless remain on call with the French team throughout the weekend, with no possibility of reinforcing their clubs in the championship.
Conversely, the fourteen players released by the French staff may return to their clubs, subject to their physical condition and their coaches’ choices. This is notably the case for Damian Penaud and Nicolas Depoortère at Bordeaux-Bègles, Rodrigue Neti at Toulouse, and Mathis Ferté at Rugby Club Toulonnais.
