Two changes for Scotland as they look to build on Six Nations win

The interests are definitely not shared, and in French rugby there’s this feeling of not really belonging in the World Rugby community, reinforced by Benazzi’s defeat at last year’s election.

Feeling closer to Argentina, Italy or Tier 2 countries than the UK or the other SH nations.

That probably doesn’t help in getting closer and try to reach agreements.

For the rest of your comment I agree 100%, players welfare should be paramount but they are a lot of challenges ahead as every party have completly different point of view and are defending their own interest.

So only 5 players -Attissogbe, Gailleton (while both switching positions), Segonds, Le Garrec and Barlot - stay in the starting XV.

The return of Barré was quite excepted. As for the others, the weather conditions might explain the reorganisation.

It’s interesting to see where Galthié will try to take the team, while Shaun Edwards stated he was unhappy with the defense during the 1st half.

Like Abadie (a 7) at 8?

Depoortere at 12 (it wasn’t his best showing during the 2024 6 Nations at that position)?

Colombe, after so many months without serious competition?

For those French players who were not involved in the Top14 playoffs, yet approaching and breaking the 2000’/25 games criteria, like Fickou, Auradou, Le Garrec or Guillard, were the 3 weeks enough to rest between the last game of the season and the first test?

While bearing in mind there was still a game the week before against a strong English squad at Twickenham.

Top 14 clubs and the LNR (but also the ECPR) need to understand that they hugely participate in the fatigue of players - LBB stated that he was utterly exhausted by the season 2 days ago. And adding this World Club competition is scary, scarily resembling the current World Club competition in football held in the US, which pushes some players to go beyond 70 games/year…

Would a restriction of games per player possible, so that they could be involved in Summer tours a possibility? With maybe part of the salary taken care by the French Federation, proportionate to the number of missed games?

How such a compensation could come? Can the French Federation find the funds for that?

What is the number of games possible? How would fare the clubs fighting relegation - like how could Stade Français accept this season, when they saved themselves almost during the last round, that Léo Barré could stop playing for the club if he was to go on tour against NZ with so much at stake?

I have no clue for all of that, but I have no doubt solutions can be found.

I genuinely see France losing by 20 next week, but there’s aslo a world where the conditions are terrible and France win by 2

Unfortunately, he only played 2 games for RCT this season, while embarking on a journey with… France 7s.

I think you’ll prob see a lightly diff beast in the black jersey for the remaining games. They were put on notice by Les Bleus at Dunedin and now know what is at stake. In 2014 England just fell apart in that third Test because the tank was empty.

For the game next week, I can’t see France being as close as they were on Saturday. The ABs will improve and I’m not so sure the French will. Except for some minor adjustments, I don’t think the new players will make any real difference….. To be chicky I think the best asset for France next week might be the weather 😆