With Dupont and four new ones… Fabien Galthié draws his list of 42 Blues to prepare for the VI Nations Tournament

A rugby match is played at 23, “finishers” included. But a Six Nations Tournament prepares for much more. 42 players appear in the group of the XV of France summoned to Aubagne (Bouches-du-Rhône) for an internship from January 23, before the first meeting scheduled for February 6 against Italy in Saint-Denis. Sick, then in difficulty with a knee for more than a month, before resuming training with Stade Toulousain on Monday, Antoine Dupont was summoned by Fabien Galthié as planned.

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— France Rugby (@FranceRugby) January 18, 2022

The best player in the world, who has not played a match since December 11, remains the captain of the Blues, in the persistent absence of the 3rd line Toulon Charles Ollivon, injured in the knee. Hit in the thigh on Sunday in the Champions Cup against the Welsh Scarlets, and absent for 15 days, the UBB opener Mathieu Jalibert is on the other hand forfeited for this internship.

Berdeu, first

Lyonnais Léo Berdeu (23) replaces him numerically. The opening half of LOU is one of the seven players with zero selection summoned to Aubagne, with the pillar of Clermont Daniel Bibi Biziwu (20 years old) – main surprise of the list -, the 2nd line of Castres Florent Vanverberghe (21 years old) and from Montpellier Florian Verhaeghe (24 years old), the 3rd line of Racing 92 Yoan Tanga (25 years old), the center of Clermont Tani Vili (20 years old) and the versatile three-quarters of La Rochelle Jules Favre (22 years old).

For Berdeu, Bibi Biziwu, Tanga and Favre, this is a first summons, the other three having already been called up previously for gatherings of the Blues. Three Racing 92 players absent during the November test matches – winger Teddy Thomas, center Virimi Vakatawa and second row Bernard Le Roux – also take their place in this expanded list, which still does not include former regulars such as the teammate of the trio, the hooker Camille Chat or the scrum half of Toulon Baptiste Serin.