XV of France: a group of 31 with Macalou and Lebel

Seven months of technical unemployment.

France-Ireland postponed at the end of October, the June tour in Argentina canceled and a series of six tests looming.

Which will begin on Saturday 24 October (9 p.m.) with a preparation match against Wales at the Stade de France, before, a week later same place, same time to close the Six Nations Tournament against Ireland.

For these first two tests - which will be followed by four others, as part of the new Autumn Nations Cup, against Fiji, Scotland and Italy, plus a classification match - Fabien Galthié and Raphaël Ibanez will unveil this Wednesday at 12:30 pm in Marcoussis a list of… 31 names.

The open war between the FFR and the LNR has indeed put aside the provision of 42 players who had allowed the staff of the XV of France to carry out training with live bullets at the beginning of the year.

Poirot, Serin and Penaud absent

The coach and his manager made no secret that they were going to rely on the backbone that had returned colors to the Blues last February.

Three great successes in a row ahead of England, Italy and Wales.

Before the Scottish Shower, defeated 28-17 in Edinburgh on March 8.

A framework supposed to progress and grow until the 2023 World Cup.

"READ ALSO: Wales: Patchell and J. Davies back against France

Compared to the start of the year, however, a few names will be missing.

UBB mainstay Jefferson Poirot, who has announced since his international retirement.

Toulon scrum-half Baptiste Serin, Clermont winger Damian Penaud and young RCT center Julien Hériteau, injured, will also be lacking (even if we can hope, for the first city, that he will return quickly enough to the grounds, once his acromio has been treated in the shoulder).

No major upheaval in prospect therefore.

We can expect the return to the French team from the third row of Stade Français Sekou Macalou, authors of two remarkable performances, and the promotion of number 8 of Stade Toulousain Selevasio Tolofua.

Barassi, Tauzin, Lebel, Villières: young people are growing

Behind, to compensate for the package of Serin, it will be played between the Lyonnais Baptiste Couilloud and the neo-Clermontois Sébastien Bézy.

Small advantage to the first, younger and more playful, a profile that pleases Fabien Galthié.

To complete the trio of centers guaranteed to be there (Vakatawa, Fickou, Vincent), a promising youngster will be appointed.

Pierre-Louis Barassi, forfeited last January after making his first selection at the World Cup in Japan, or the U20 world champion Lucas Tauzin.

Finally, on the wings, Damian Penaud absent, Teddy Thomas just recovered from his eternal muscular problems, there should be new blood.

Matthis Lebel, U 20 world champion, amazes in the Toulouse jersey.

But we can also think of Gabin Villières, who explodes in Toulon, or finally a return of Alivereti Raka, rather to his advantage within a team of Clermont hardly radiant at the start of the season.

Galthié and Ibanez should also announce a list of eleven "additional players", in order to be able to train at 42, from France 7, U 20 world champions, or even two or three elements evolving in Pro D2.

The 31 probable

Left pillars: Cyril Baille (Toulouse), Jean-Baptiste Gros (Toulon)

Hookers: Camille Chat (Racing), Julien Marchand (Toulouse), Anthony Etrillard (Toulon)

Right pillars: Mohamed Haouas (Montpellier), Demba Bamba (Lyon)

Second row: Bernard Le Roux (Racing), Paul Willemse (Montpellier), Romain Taofifenua (Toulon),

Third row: François Cros (Toulouse), Charles Ollivon (Toulon), Sekou Macalou (Stade Français), Yacouba Camara (Montpellier), Grégory Alldritt (La Rochelle), Selevasio Tolofua (Toulouse)

Scrum half: Antoine Dupont (Toulouse), Baptiste Couilloud (LOU)

Opening half: Romain Ntamack (Toulouse), Matthieu Jalibert (Bordeaux)

Centers: Virimi Vakatawa (Racing), Gaël Fickou (Stade Français), Arthur Vincent (Montpellier),

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Wingers: Vincent Rattez (Montpellier), Teddy Thomas (Racing), Matthis Lebel (Toulouse),

Rear: Anthony Bouthier (Montpellier), Thomas Ramos (Toulouse)

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