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Antoine Dupont returns but Toulouse team-mate cut from 42-man France squad
By Josh Raisey
Antoine Dupont has returned to the France XVs squad after missing the first half of 2024 as he focussed on his ultra-successful switch to sevens.
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After helping France win Olympic gold at the Paris Olympics in July, the scrum-half has devoted himself fully to the 15-player format again, and has been in sensational form for Top 14 leaders Toulouse.
Dupont will not be joined by his Toulouse team-mate Julien Marchand, however, who has been a surprise omission by Fabien Galthie, although he is currently dealing with a small muscular problem. The Toulouse contingent is also bereft of prop Cyrille Baille and fly-half Romain Ntamack, two certainties if they were fit.
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Eleven members of the reigning French and European champions Toulouse have made the squad, including lock Josh Brennan, son of former Ireland international Trevor Brennan.
Brennan is one of eight uncapped players in the squad, four of which are from Bordeaux Begles – back-rows Pierre Bochaton, 23, and Marko Gazzotti, 20, hooker Maxime Lamothe, 26, and full-back Romain Buros, 27. The remaining three are Bayonne prop Tevita Tatafu, 22, Lyon fly-half Léo Berdeu, 26, and Toulouse centre Paul Costes, 21.
France host Japan, the All Blacks and Argentina in November, completing a trio of matches against the Pumas this year following a 1-1 series draw in July.
France squad (Current club / first club)
Forwards
Grégory ALDRITT (La Rochelle / FC Auch)
Uini ATONIO (La Rochelle / Auckland Welsey Collège)
Gaëtan BARLOT (Castres Olympique / AS Montferrandaise)
Pierre BOCHATON (Bordeaux Bègles / Rugby Trévoux Chatillon)
Paul BOUDEHENT (La Rochelle / SCO Rugby Angers)
Joshua BRENNAN (Toulouse / Toulouse Lalande Aucamville XV)
Georges-Henri COLOMBE (La Rochelle / Racing Nanterre Rugby)
François CROS (Toulouse / RC Seilh-Fenouillet)
Thibaud FLAMENT (Toulouse / ASUB Rugby Waterloo)
Marko GAZZOTTI (Bordeaux Bègles / FC Aix les Bains)
Jean-Baptiste GROS (Toulon / RC Tarascon)
Mickaël GUILLARD (Lyon / RC Maurepas Élancourt
Anthony JELONCH (Toulouse / UA Vicoise)
Maxime LAMOTHE (Bordeaux Bègles / Pessac Rugby)
Peato MAUVAKA (Toulouse / URC Dumbéa)
Emmanuel MEAFOU (Toulouse / Brothers Old Boys)
Lenni NOUCHI (Montpellier / AS Béziers Hérault)
Charles OLLIVON (Toulon / Saint-Pée UC)
Alexandre ROUMAT (Toulouse / AS Hossegor)
Romain TAOFIFENUA (Racing 92 / AL Echirolles)
Sébastien TAOFIFENUA (Lyon / AL Echirolles
Tevita TATAFU (Bayonne / EUA High School)
Reda WARDI (La Rochelle / Montpellier)
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Backs
Théo ATTISSOGBE (Pau / Peyrehorade Sports Rugby)
Léo BARRÉ (Stade Français / RC Versailles)
Léo BERDEU (Lyon / OL Grasse)
Louis BIELLE-BIARREY (Bordeaux Bègles / RC Seyssinois)
Romain BUROS (Bordeaux Bègles / Avenir Aturin)
Paul COSTES (Toulouse / Toulouse UC)
Jonathan DANTY (La Rochelle / ASPTT Paris)
Antoine DUPONT (Toulouse / Magnoac FC)
Gaël FICKOU (Racing 92 / US Seynoise)
Antoine FRISCH (Toulon / Paris Université Club)
Émilien GAILLETON (Pau / Cahors Rugby Saint Cadurcien)
Mathieu JALIBERT (Bordeaux Bègles / ASS Stade Calédonien)
Nolann LE GARREC (Racing 92 / RC Vannes)
Mathis LEBEL (Toulouse / Lombez Samatan Club)
Maxime LUCU (Bordeaux Bègles / Saint-Pée UC)
Yoram MOEFANA (Bordeaux Bègles / USA Limoges)
Damian PENAUD (Bordeaux Bègles / EV Malemort Brive Olympique)
Thomas RAMOS (Toulouse / SC Mazamet)
Gabin VILLIÈRE (Toulon / RC du Bocage Virois)
The depth on show here is astonishing. No other team on earth comes close.
It will be interesting to see who Galthié goes with as his starting XV, as they don't seem to have a settled lineup atm.
Unfortunately Ntamack is out for 3 weeks due to small injury but might be back for the ABs game.
Fortunately Galthié now seems conscious that Danty-Fickou should be replaced before the next WC. Costes, Frisch, Gailleton represent the future.
The other problem is the props. Baille (injured) and Atonio don’t have yet clear and undisputed replacements. Fortunately Aldeghieri is no more in the list.