France's Summer Rugby Tour: A Mix of New Faces and Veterans
Fabien Galthié, the head coach of the French national rugby team, announced a list of 32 players on Monday who will be preparing for the summer tour of Argentina. The training camp will take place from June 17 to 22 at the National Rugby Center in Marcoussis. Among the selected, a few familiar names stand out, such as scrum halves Baptiste Serin and Baptiste Couilloud, as well as the pillars Jean-Baptiste Gros and Demba Bamba. Notably, these players are veterans with more than ten selections each.
Emerging Talents and International Rookies
Due to the ongoing semi-finals of the Top 14 league, which includes teams like Toulouse, La Rochelle, Bordeaux-Bègles, and Stade Français, several key players were unavailable for this selection. Consequently, Galthié has opted for a younger, less experienced squad. Key young players like Hugo Auradou from Pau, Giorgi Beria from Clermont, and winger Nathanaël Hulleu from Castres have made the cut. The inclusion of rookies such as Théo Attissogbé and Antoine Frisch, who will transition from Munster to Toulon, highlights Galthié's focus on developing new talent.
Preparation and Matches Ahead
During the training camp, the Blues will partake in a preparatory match against Romania on June 22. Following the semi-finals of the Top 14, Galthié will expand the squad to 42 players. The team is set to depart for Argentina on June 26. The French squad will face the Pumas, semi-finalists in the last World Cup, in two matches scheduled for July 6 and 13. Additionally, France will play against Uruguay on July 10 in Montevideo; however, this match will not count as an official selection.
Selected forwards include Hugo Auradou, Demba Bamba, and Jean-Baptiste Gros, among others. The backs feature names like Théo Attissogbé, Louis Carbonel, and Melvyn Jaminet. This selection aims to blend veteran experience with youthful energy, preparing the squad for a challenging summer tour.
- The selection list features several players making a return to the national team, adding depth and experience. For instance, Baptiste Serin and Louis Carbonel have been recalled by Fabien Galthié and his team. The team's balance of experienced players with a fresh batch of talent should provide exciting dynamics on the field.
- Racing 92 has four representatives in this initial squad: Ibrahim Diallo, Jordan Joseph, Thomas Laclayat, and Jannick Tarrit. Out of these, only Diallo has previously donned the national jersey during the summer tours to Australia in 2021 and Japan in 2022.
- As the team expands to 42 players following the Top 14 semi-finals, it will interesting to see which of these young talents makes the final cut for the Argentina tour. Galthié's selection process reflects his strategy to manage player workload while promoting the next generation of French rugby players.
