This autumn, the XV of France does not want to turn the page, but rather close the book to open a new one. Fabien Galthié’s men return to the playing fields and more specifically to the Stade de France in Saint-Denis (Seine-Saint-Denis) – which they have not set foot in since their defeat against South Africa during the 2023 World Cup – during a three-year tour matches in the Dionysian enclosure. It starts on Saturday, November 9, at 9:10 p.m., against Japan. The matches against New Zealand and Argentina will follow.
This time Antoine Dupont will be present, coming from an Olympic sabbatical, time to win gold with the French rugby sevens team. Captain during his last appearance with the XV of France, he immediately found his stripes. “For the players, the question did not arise. Especially because it is as good as before, if not better.” ensures the third row François Cros. When it comes to questioning their leader’s motivations, the rugby blues are more certain than their football cousins.
But the French team also has its problems in the world of ovals. How to recover after a nightmare summer tour. In South America, the French squad had to take advantage of the good season to see new faces. Above all, he had to train very quickly in crisis management and at the same time reluctantly discover how the Argentine judicial system works. In fact, the third Oscar Jégou and the second Hugo Auradou were arrested in Mendoza and then placed under house arrest following accusations of aggravated rape, before being allowed to return to France. Postponed three times, his dismissal hearing should be held on November 25.
A “letter” to restore order
Before this affair, the battered Gallo shirt had been stained by Melvyn Jaminet, with the Toulon full-back guilty of racist comments in a video posted on social media that earned him a thirty-four-week suspension. A heavy context, which was present throughout the week in the ‘bleus’ press conferences. And even the days before. At the end of October, the French Rugby Federation reacted by announcing the creation of a new selection framework with strict rules, such as a ban on drinking alcohol in the locker room.
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