If there are no big surprises in the front line except for the Catalan Shuster, who, in my opinion, does not seem to provide all the necessary guarantees in terms of scrum binding, the coach has accustomed us to this kind of choice (the selections of Brugnault and Boyoud…). The rest of the selection is logical and demonstrates a clear continuity.
However, regarding the backs, I have the impression that we are still in an experimentation phase, and with a year to go before the start of the World Cup, this remains concerning…
In this context, it’s a shame not to try Racingman Jonathan Wisniewski, who, through his performances, deserves it just as much as a repeatedly seen Traille who has only one and a half matches in his legs, or an Estebanez who seems too inconsistent at present.
I am also surprised by the non-selection of Clément Poitrenaud in favor of Aurélien Rougerie. The Toulousain repositioned at center demonstrates his ability to make his partners play well with his great technical skills, and even if he is not directly decisive as our coach says, he makes others decisive…
In these times of massive destruction, the technical finesse of this player would do us the greatest good. We could also talk about Vincent Clerc, who does not seem to me to be inferior to a Palisson or an Andreu.
For Arias, it feels like he’s being discovered even though he has shone in our championship for several years, but his repeated injuries have not allowed him to establish himself permanently in the national team since his first and only cap in 2007 against Australia, not to mention Bastareaud, who is criticized for his lack of commitment but remains one of the most effective players in pushing back a defense.
Hopefully, this tour will allow the French team’s staff to gain some certainties to approach the next tournament with the group as close as possible that will represent our colors in New Zealand.
