Since the start of the week, the Scots have been repeating that they prefer to face the Blues this Sunday in Saint-Denis to a postponement of the meeting.
Sportingly, we can understand them.
They will face a decimated XV of France, deprived of eight of its holders during the victory in Ireland.
And not just any.
The Covid has taken its toll.
The first Baille-Marchand-Haouas line?
Flat rate.
Captain Charles Ollivon?
Flat rate.
Antoine Dupont, the best player of the Blues?
Flat rate.
Without forgetting the winger Gabin Villière, the center Arthur Vincent and the back Brice Dulin, sparkling since his return in the tricolor jersey.
Eight holders on the flank.
Without forgetting three potential substitutes, Mauvaka, R. Taofifenua and Pesenti.
Fabien Galthié and his staff will therefore have to compose a new team, send the liners to the front, as last November against Italy and England during the Autumn Nations Cup.
A decimated first line
In the front row, particularly affected, Demba Bamba, just recalled after having finally found the ground after two months to treat his cervical and then his hamstrings, and the young Racingman Hassane Kolingar should start as pillars, supervising Pierre Bourgarit, Camille Cat being forfeited for injury.
If the Le Roux-Willemse second line is spared, the captain, Charles Ollivon, must be replaced.
Dylan Cretin should make up for his absence, in preference to Cameron Woki, for a third line Cretin-Jelonch-Alldritt.
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Antoine Dupont will be replaced by his usual understudy, Baptiste Serin, the Clermontois Sébastien Bézy taking place on the bench.
The captaincy could even fall to the Toulon scrum half.
Unless it is entrusted to the most capped player of this team (60 selections), Gaël Fickou.
To which the staff must allocate a partner in the center of the tricolor attack, Virimi Vakatawa (knee) and Arthur Vincent (Covid) being lacking.
Jonathan Danty should be preferred to Pierre-Louis Barassi.
For club benchmarks, the two players playing together at the Stade Français Paris, and for their complementarity, Barassi's profile being close to that of Fickou.
On the wings, Teddy Thomas, holder in Italy, and Damian Penaud, who had stolen his place against Ireland, will be associated.
At the back, finally, we should witness the return of Anthony Bouthier, number one for Galthié for a long time before Dulin made his resounding comeback.
Announcement expected Friday
If this team seems more or less to hold the road, the deficit of experience looks crying on the bench.
If Uini Atonio (30 years old, 35 caps) is not lacking, if Thomas Ramos has the advantage of covering the position of opener and back (15 selections), hooker Teddy Baubigny (1 selection) and the pillar left of the UBB Thierry Paiva (0 selection) will plunge them into the deep end.
In the second row, Killian Geraci (Lyon, 2 caps) will sit on the bench.
It will remain to choose between Barrassi or Moefana for the substitute position at the center.
The team should be announced Friday noon by Fabien Galthié and Raphaël Ibanez.
But, for the moment, no program has been sent to the press.
The probable XV of France
: Bouthier - Penaud, Danty, Fickou, Thomas - Jalibert, Serin (cap) - Cretin, Alldritt, Jelonch - Willemse, Le Roux - Bamba, Bourgarit, Kolingar.
Replacements
: Baubigny, Paiva, Atonio, Geraci ,, Woki, Bézy, Ramos, Barrassi (or Moefana).
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