Saturday afternoon (5:15 p.m.), the French team will face England in London as part of a friendly match. After Tuesday’s training session, there is no longer really any secrets with regard to the composition of the Blues’ starting XV. Aligned in the second line during the 6 nations tournament, Mickaël Guillard should be used in the third line this time in a team of which Gaël Fickou, Théo Attissogbe or Rabah Slimani will also be part.
This rugby weekend being above all that of the Top 14 semi-finals, first with the match between Toulouse and Bayonne Friday evening (9:05 p.m.) then the one between Bordeaux-Bègles and Toulon, the next day, at the same time and always in Lyon, we would almost tend to forget that the XV of France is also on the program, very precisely this Saturday. And for good reason, because it is not really the French team who will face England in London in a friendly match for yet another crunch, but the French team A (the match will not give rise to a selection for the players used), in the same way as the XV of the Rose will also present its team A.
Nevertheless, the composition that Aligne will Fabien Galkié will have everything interesting, even more with the summer tour in New Zealand on the horizon for which the French coach has for the moment retained 42 elements. This Tuesday training in Marcoussis delivered precious indications for the fifteen men who will start against the English on Saturday afternoon (5:15 p.m.) on the lawn of Twickenham. Not to say that the fifteen holders in question are already known.
Five novices and a Canadian kick -off
With notably Gaël Fickou, who will carry the captain’s armband and will be associated with the center to Emilien Gailleton, Mickaël Guillard, usual second line of Galkié who will start in the third line for the occasion, Théo Attissogbe, one of the heroes of the last 6 nations tournament, and Rabah Slimani to supervise this team composed mainly of young players.
The tenures expected from Léo Barré at the rear, the hinge called to associate Nolan Le Garrec with his future teammate at the Stade Rochelais Antoine Hastoy as well as the beginnings of Maël Moustin (Montpellier) on one of the wings (Attissogbe will evolve on the other) attest. Alexandre Fischer and Killian Tixer, who should support Guillard in the third line, will also discover the blue jersey, in the same way, this time, on the front line, that Baptiste Erdocio, Moustin teammate at the MHR, and Gaëtan Barlot (Castres). On the second line, Hugo Auradou should accompany the Franco-Canadian Tyler Duguid, another Montpellier player called by Galkié to prepare this summer tour. But make way for the “A” crunch to start.
The probable starting XV of the France A team against England:
Barré – Moustin, Gailleton, Fickou (CAP), Attissogbe – (O) Hastoy, (M) Le Garc – Tixer, Guillard, Fischer – Duguid, Auradou – Slimani, Barlot, Erdocio
