XV of France: “No concessions!”… “Blues” do not want to spoil everything against Japan

“No relaxation, we want to finish well, we want to win again and again.” Romain Taofifenois and this XV of France are still not satisfied. After twelve successive successes, Fabien Galtier’s Blues are hoping for a thirteenth win to end the autumn tour this Sunday at 2pm in Toulouse against Japan. The rival, a priori more accessible than Australia (30-29) and South Africa (30-26), beat these last two weekends in the last minutes.

“Slogan of the week: no relaxation, confirms the back Thomas Ramos, who is to tie for the third term in a row. We had two good games, two big wins, but this game stayed. Losing this weekend will call into question everything we did the previous two weekends. We must end well! »

For this conclusion, hoped by the Toulouse stadium public in apotheosis, XV France will be deprived of their captain and scrum half Antoine Dupont (disqualified 4 weeks after his red card against South Africa) as well as the Cyril pillar. Baye hit the adductors, and the second line Thibaut Flaman, released due to a concussion against Springboks.

“Damian, he doesn’t like being bullied!” »

Despite the absence of these three Toulousans, there should still be plenty of Villa Rose players on the scoresheet, notably Romain Ntamak at the start of the match, Anthony Jelonch at the third row, Julien Marchand at the heels and Thomas Ramos at the start. , back. Dupont will be replaced by Maxime Lucu in scrum and third line Charles Olivon as captain.

Compared to the standard squad, which Fabien Galtier seems to want to upgrade beyond these injuries and suspensions, new uncertainty has been added this Thursday during Marcoussis’s last high-intensity workout under gray skies. Winger Damian Peno, who received a blow to the right knee, cut the session short. Grimacing on the ground after being hit, he left the field with an ice pack on the inside of his knee. “It’s okay, it’s just a blow,” says his friend Thomas Ramos. Damian, he doesn’t like being bullied! »

The Blues staff will await further diagnosis from the doctors when compiling their team composition. It will be presented this Friday at noon, before the departure of XV France for Toulouse.

Possible XV line-up of France vs. Japan:

Ramos – Peno (or Moefana), Danti, Fiku, Moefana (or Lebel) – (o) Ntamak, (m) Luku – Jelonch, Aldritt, Olivon (cap.) – Voki, Taofifenua – Atonio, Marchand, Vardi.