The 35-year-old joined the second-tier side on a two-year deal from Northampton, whom he led to Gallagher Premiership title glory in his final match on June 8.
Ahead by a single point at the break after riding their luck at times during an edgy opening half, Mark Mapletoft’s dynamos took ample advantage of the yellow carding of Mathis Castro-Ferreira.
Four times he has flown south from France in the last 13 months, his involvement at the 2023 and 2024 World Rugby U20 Championship sandwiching the trips he made in December and April with La Rochelle in the Champions Cup.
The French, who are chasing a fourth successive world title in a row, swatted aside New Zealand 55-31 in their semi-final last Sunday.
Beaten 26-27 by an 80th-minute Baby Blacks penalty in a July 4 pool match in Stellenbosch, the French only reached the last four as the tournament’s best runner-up across the three pools courtesy of last Tuesday’s victory over Wales.
The arrival of Stade Toulousain back-row Mathis Castro-Ferreira has shaken up the 23-man Bleuets squad that will face New Zealand.
Reus was only a late confirmation in the French squad, as it wasn’t until La Rochelle were eliminated from the Top 14 at the semi-final stage that his name was pencilled in to travel out before their opening match.
The Spanish have the honour of opening the pool the DHL Stadium this Saturday, taking on a French team that didn’t fire on all cylinders in a Six Nations campaign that only merited third place.
Les Bleus had won the 2018 and 2019 tournament finals in Beziers and Rosario but the pandemic forced the cancellation of the next three tournaments before it returned in 2023.