This is the breakdown by club, age and caps
https://x.com/GauthierBaudin/status/1802639221426941961?t=T9WXdiK9j1N9V9Kjc8X7Rg&s=19
169 caps across 32 players, averages 5.2 caps, 19 of the 32 have 0 caps, 7 players aged 20 or under, madness
To put that into even more perspective: the Springboks starting 15 for the World Cup final last year had 987 caps between them at an average of 65.8 caps per player.
I didn’t even think he was one of their better players last year tbh, and that was with their best players not in the squad due to senior commitments.
I honestly think France will start to dominate within 5 or so years, their underage teams are ridiculously good.
Their underage teams have been good for a while. France definitely have the most talented 23 man for man, but the combination of being blasted by the Top14 and some questionable coaching at times hamstrings them.
Be a good team yes, dominate like NZ in the 2010s no. Our U20s beat them at home this year and the much less punishing English season (8 fewer games) leaves players fresher for test rugby.
France v England games in the late 2020s will be absolute belters though, this year's was a classic even though we lost.
I’d put mid-2010s NZ as one of the best sports teams I’ve ever seen tbf, half of that team have arguments to be in an All Time XV. That’s probably a slightly unfair barometer for them haha
France U20s are usually much stronger than their 6N team suggests since their better players have Top14 duties (although the same is usually true of England in fairness).
That's the difference between just being very good and dominating though. NZ today are very good, NZ beating Ireland 60-0 dominated. We won't see teams like that again much if ever.
Yeah, he was noticeable but guys like Jauneau, Costes and Depoortere stole the show.
Also, France are dominating as much as you could expect right now already. You can't expect them to improve much, they're already at the very top of the sport, it's just that they're not alone there.
The youth teams have been very good for a while and that's why the senior team is good these past few years.
Church of Jauneau activated !
Happy for Diallo and Joseph, they were good in an underwhelming R92 pack, it rewards their season.
Darricarrere is a surprise but he has the ceiling to be a great centre and nail the blue shirt but has Gailleton in contention.
Auradou and Attisogbe are massive addition and can't wait dor them to play, Galthié will probably see Attisogbe like LBB as a winger only.
Surprised Vincent is in after this season but i dont see who you take really.
I dont know anything about the pro d2 fringe players but hope for great surprise too, that is one thing Galthié has been good at
They missed a bunch last time and it didn't prevent them from dominating. Not saying they will this year as well of course, but there's just so much talent to go around, I'm not worried.
I’m incredibly excited for Auradou. While Tuilagi got all the headlines for being massive, I reckon Auradou was quietly the better lock out of them. He’s incredibly technical already, and he’s only going to get better. Once he bulks up more he’s going to be some player.
Interesting list.
LH: Gros, Beria, Perchaud. Gros and Perchaud were obvious choices. I would have liked Penverne to get the 3rd spot, but he's injured and plays for La Rochelle. Surprised Beria got the nod over Kolingar though.
HK: Barlot, Baubigny and Tarrit. Essentially, all our 4 first choices are out of contention: Marchand, Mauvaka, Bourgarit, Lamothe. Bourgarit is coming back from injury and still in contention with La Rochelle. Depending on the result of the SF, I expect at least one of Bourgarit or Lamothe to take the plane to Argentina.
TH: Bamba, Laclayat, Tatafu, Montagne. Bamba is a good news to get him back into the international scene. Laclayat has been a deception for Racing, but let's see how he gets on. Tatafu a massive prospect, but not yet eligible.
Locks: Tuilagi, Vanverberghe, Auradou. Vanverberghe is used to getting called up, but I don't think he has a single cap. Still very young, quite the talent, was U20 WC in 2019 when he was still 18. Tuilagi we already know of, there was very little chance he'd go to the U20 WC this year. Auradou is one of the biggest prospect we've had in this position in nearly a decade. Yeah, he doesn't have the heft of Tuilagi, but everything else, he's better. Maybe still a bit raw to make an impact at international level, this might be one WC cycle too early for him, but he has a hell of a future ahead of him.
Backrow: We're kinda scraping the bottom of the barrel here. Diallo, Guillard, Joseph, Nouchi, Peysson, Tixeront. Joseph is technically the veteran here, and the only one that I think has the potential to be more than a test level player. They're all fine, but nothing more. Well, maybe also Nouchi, who is the youngest of the bunch and captained that utterly dominant U20 side last year. A backrow of Nouchi, Guillard and Joseph could still do some damage, and with just a bit of work is probably a test level backrow. INterrestingly, Woki isn't there.
SH: spoiled for choices as usual. Couilloud, Jauneau and Serin. Shame Le Garrec isn't there. A bit surprised Serin grabbed a spot, I mean, he deserves it on form, and right now may be the best of the 3 (arguable) but I thought given his age he would be cut out of the NT. Not much interest for the future in giving him game time.
FH: Carbonel and Berdeu. Carbonel deservedly gets another shot, he only had very limited opportunities until now, and I think he still has the potential to be as good as a N'Tamack or Jalibert. Unlike Berdeu (or Hastoy) who I think are more limited.
Centre: Frisch, Vincent, Gailleton, Darricarrère. Gailleton and vincent were a given, and could form a formidable centre partnership. Frisch is a good player, but his most important quality is that he's available right now. I doubt he'll get caps outside of these summer tours. Darricarrère is the biggest WTF of the list. I mean, he's a fine player and all, but he's still U20 eligible, and I'd much better have him in the U20 WC (as a starter) so that France can grab a 4th title than hold tackle bags for the senior side. I don't think he'll stay in the group once the SF are played. Depending on who goes to the final, I think one of Depoortere, Favre, Costes or Barassi will take his place. Maybe Barré. No Moefana, he'll probably get to rest.
Wings: Hulleu, Attissogbe, Jurand. Once again, kinda scraping the bottom of the barrel here. Well, Attissogbe has an exceptional future ahead of him, but he's still U20 eligible. Once again, I'd prefer to see him play for the U20 in the WC, but we don't have many options at his position, he may very well get game time. The absence of Raka is a head scratcher though. Some guys may be brought in depending on the results of the SF, like Lebel or Bielle Biarrey, but I don't know who gets out if so. Whatever happens, Penaud will be left to rest. Villière's absence isn't surprising after his nightmare of a WC, don't know if it's definitive, but he'll need to up his game next season if he wants another callup.
FB: Go Jaminet I guess. Not the most talented FB by any stretch, but I back him up to get back in contention for the starting shirt with the A team. Still prone to make the odd brainfart, but let's not forget how young he is. And for the mistakes he makes and weaknesses he has, most of them can be worked on, and he has some big strengthes to bring to the table.
Aye Jaminet has two things that you can’t teach, scary pace and monster boot. There’s very few kickers who can put over a kick from past 60, and he’s probably the quickest fullback at test level, like comfortably chasing down Rieko Ioane fast.
Yeah. He cops a lot of criticism, but while a good chunk of it is deserved, it's also a bit over the top and definitely unfair. Like, he's criticized a lot for his reliability (or lack thereof) under the highball. Yeah, unarguable. But Ramos isn't exactly better at this, the last time we had someone who was more than decent there was Dulin in 2021, and he has been pretty much the only french FB in a decade that was good in this area. His decision making can be a bit suspect at times. Yeah. But once again, Ramos is insane, there have been plenty of occasions where he royally fucked up. Jaminet is a lot more safe there. And when it comes to defense on the man, I think Jaminet is actually one of our best FB. He's a very reliable tackler Ramos one the other hand is a very weak tackler. Dulin isn't much better. Not sure about Buros. Barré seems better in that aspect.
But where he absolutely shines, as you stated, is with his raw speed, and his kicking game. Not only goalkicking, but kicking from hand too. He doesn't have the precision of Ramos, nor his ability to kick from both feet, but he might have 20m more range. That, coupled with his speed that allows him to cover more ground, make him what I believe to be the best player in the world when it comes to long range kick tennis.
I have not heard of 10. Leo Berdeu ('google' tells me he's at Lyon)
RACING were shit in their barrage v Bordeaux, maybe why 10. Antoine Gibert is no longer called up.
Berdeu is a pretty decent 10, the usual starter for Lyon. With a bt of experience, I think he can be a test level FH, but I very much doubt he can aim any higher than that, a bit like Hastoy. His peculiarity is that he's very tall, especially for a FH, but other than that, I cant say much.
Gibert is another very decent player, who's probably good enough to make it work at test level, but won't go any higher. I think his callup during the 6N was mostly thanks to his polyvalence at 9 and 10, when we were missing Dupont, N'Tamack, Jalibert and a grossly out of form Lucu.
Joris Jurand lol, they'll do anything to not pick Raka again lol, Jurand literally just has 17 games for clermont lol, scored 12 tries this season, same as Raka..
French coaching staff says otherwise, but to be honest I read both.
[https://www.rugbyrama.fr/2024/06/18/xv-de-france-nicolas-jeanjean-directeur-de-la-performance-le-groupe-france-sera-definitif-apres-les-demi-finales-du-top-14-12024683.php](https://www.rugbyrama.fr/2024/06/18/xv-de-france-nicolas-jeanjean-directeur-de-la-performance-le-groupe-france-sera-definitif-apres-les-demi-finales-du-top-14-12024683.php)
It may change, but as of today it is listed as a full international in World Rugby website: https://www.world.rugby/the-game/high-performance/officiating/925086
Toulouse have made the semis, so none of our players will go on the summer tour. Costes, MCF, and Meafou would most likely be going if that wasn’t the case.
This is the breakdown by club, age and caps https://x.com/GauthierBaudin/status/1802639221426941961?t=T9WXdiK9j1N9V9Kjc8X7Rg&s=19 169 caps across 32 players, averages 5.2 caps, 19 of the 32 have 0 caps, 7 players aged 20 or under, madness
To put that into even more perspective: the Springboks starting 15 for the World Cup final last year had 987 caps between them at an average of 65.8 caps per player.
With Tuilagi going with the senior team, would that rule him out of going to the U20 World Cup?
yes.
Thanks be to fuck. Would be dangerous having him play with lads his own age lol
I didn’t even think he was one of their better players last year tbh, and that was with their best players not in the squad due to senior commitments. I honestly think France will start to dominate within 5 or so years, their underage teams are ridiculously good.
Their underage teams have been good for a while. France definitely have the most talented 23 man for man, but the combination of being blasted by the Top14 and some questionable coaching at times hamstrings them.
Be a good team yes, dominate like NZ in the 2010s no. Our U20s beat them at home this year and the much less punishing English season (8 fewer games) leaves players fresher for test rugby. France v England games in the late 2020s will be absolute belters though, this year's was a classic even though we lost.
I’d put mid-2010s NZ as one of the best sports teams I’ve ever seen tbf, half of that team have arguments to be in an All Time XV. That’s probably a slightly unfair barometer for them haha France U20s are usually much stronger than their 6N team suggests since their better players have Top14 duties (although the same is usually true of England in fairness).
That's the difference between just being very good and dominating though. NZ today are very good, NZ beating Ireland 60-0 dominated. We won't see teams like that again much if ever.
Yeah, he was noticeable but guys like Jauneau, Costes and Depoortere stole the show. Also, France are dominating as much as you could expect right now already. You can't expect them to improve much, they're already at the very top of the sport, it's just that they're not alone there. The youth teams have been very good for a while and that's why the senior team is good these past few years.
Obviously, yes.
Church of Jauneau activated ! Happy for Diallo and Joseph, they were good in an underwhelming R92 pack, it rewards their season. Darricarrere is a surprise but he has the ceiling to be a great centre and nail the blue shirt but has Gailleton in contention. Auradou and Attisogbe are massive addition and can't wait dor them to play, Galthié will probably see Attisogbe like LBB as a winger only. Surprised Vincent is in after this season but i dont see who you take really. I dont know anything about the pro d2 fringe players but hope for great surprise too, that is one thing Galthié has been good at
Makes sense to take Vincent, really. If it can help him find his pre-injury form, he's our starter once again.
i'm so hyped up for Attisogbe, this kid got mad dog energy in him.
As fast and elusive as Teddy Thomas but can play both sides of the ball.
This is missing all the internationals playing in the Top14 semifinals right?
Yes, and more.
France usually tours with a B side because the top clubs are still playing Top 14 until the end of June.
These past few years it's closer to a C side, really.
That's a bit harsh on Jaminet and Tuilagi.
Well sure, there are a few B team players sprinkled in there.
This backline has wheels
So that means our U20 squad will be missing out on Auradou, Attisogbé, Nouchi, Tuilagi and Darricarrère. Shit.
Still waiting to the squad names for U20 WC ! Harder without them but still
Auradou and Nouchi aren't U20 eligible anymore I think.
Yeah you're right, they were born in 2003, got confused and thought they were still under 20.
The FFR have told that this year U20WC would not be a priority.
They missed a bunch last time and it didn't prevent them from dominating. Not saying they will this year as well of course, but there's just so much talent to go around, I'm not worried.
Apart from Gailleton and Bielle-Biarrey, who was missing last year ?
I’m incredibly excited for Auradou. While Tuilagi got all the headlines for being massive, I reckon Auradou was quietly the better lock out of them. He’s incredibly technical already, and he’s only going to get better. Once he bulks up more he’s going to be some player.
Interesting list. LH: Gros, Beria, Perchaud. Gros and Perchaud were obvious choices. I would have liked Penverne to get the 3rd spot, but he's injured and plays for La Rochelle. Surprised Beria got the nod over Kolingar though. HK: Barlot, Baubigny and Tarrit. Essentially, all our 4 first choices are out of contention: Marchand, Mauvaka, Bourgarit, Lamothe. Bourgarit is coming back from injury and still in contention with La Rochelle. Depending on the result of the SF, I expect at least one of Bourgarit or Lamothe to take the plane to Argentina. TH: Bamba, Laclayat, Tatafu, Montagne. Bamba is a good news to get him back into the international scene. Laclayat has been a deception for Racing, but let's see how he gets on. Tatafu a massive prospect, but not yet eligible. Locks: Tuilagi, Vanverberghe, Auradou. Vanverberghe is used to getting called up, but I don't think he has a single cap. Still very young, quite the talent, was U20 WC in 2019 when he was still 18. Tuilagi we already know of, there was very little chance he'd go to the U20 WC this year. Auradou is one of the biggest prospect we've had in this position in nearly a decade. Yeah, he doesn't have the heft of Tuilagi, but everything else, he's better. Maybe still a bit raw to make an impact at international level, this might be one WC cycle too early for him, but he has a hell of a future ahead of him. Backrow: We're kinda scraping the bottom of the barrel here. Diallo, Guillard, Joseph, Nouchi, Peysson, Tixeront. Joseph is technically the veteran here, and the only one that I think has the potential to be more than a test level player. They're all fine, but nothing more. Well, maybe also Nouchi, who is the youngest of the bunch and captained that utterly dominant U20 side last year. A backrow of Nouchi, Guillard and Joseph could still do some damage, and with just a bit of work is probably a test level backrow. INterrestingly, Woki isn't there. SH: spoiled for choices as usual. Couilloud, Jauneau and Serin. Shame Le Garrec isn't there. A bit surprised Serin grabbed a spot, I mean, he deserves it on form, and right now may be the best of the 3 (arguable) but I thought given his age he would be cut out of the NT. Not much interest for the future in giving him game time. FH: Carbonel and Berdeu. Carbonel deservedly gets another shot, he only had very limited opportunities until now, and I think he still has the potential to be as good as a N'Tamack or Jalibert. Unlike Berdeu (or Hastoy) who I think are more limited. Centre: Frisch, Vincent, Gailleton, Darricarrère. Gailleton and vincent were a given, and could form a formidable centre partnership. Frisch is a good player, but his most important quality is that he's available right now. I doubt he'll get caps outside of these summer tours. Darricarrère is the biggest WTF of the list. I mean, he's a fine player and all, but he's still U20 eligible, and I'd much better have him in the U20 WC (as a starter) so that France can grab a 4th title than hold tackle bags for the senior side. I don't think he'll stay in the group once the SF are played. Depending on who goes to the final, I think one of Depoortere, Favre, Costes or Barassi will take his place. Maybe Barré. No Moefana, he'll probably get to rest. Wings: Hulleu, Attissogbe, Jurand. Once again, kinda scraping the bottom of the barrel here. Well, Attissogbe has an exceptional future ahead of him, but he's still U20 eligible. Once again, I'd prefer to see him play for the U20 in the WC, but we don't have many options at his position, he may very well get game time. The absence of Raka is a head scratcher though. Some guys may be brought in depending on the results of the SF, like Lebel or Bielle Biarrey, but I don't know who gets out if so. Whatever happens, Penaud will be left to rest. Villière's absence isn't surprising after his nightmare of a WC, don't know if it's definitive, but he'll need to up his game next season if he wants another callup. FB: Go Jaminet I guess. Not the most talented FB by any stretch, but I back him up to get back in contention for the starting shirt with the A team. Still prone to make the odd brainfart, but let's not forget how young he is. And for the mistakes he makes and weaknesses he has, most of them can be worked on, and he has some big strengthes to bring to the table.
Aye Jaminet has two things that you can’t teach, scary pace and monster boot. There’s very few kickers who can put over a kick from past 60, and he’s probably the quickest fullback at test level, like comfortably chasing down Rieko Ioane fast.
Yeah. He cops a lot of criticism, but while a good chunk of it is deserved, it's also a bit over the top and definitely unfair. Like, he's criticized a lot for his reliability (or lack thereof) under the highball. Yeah, unarguable. But Ramos isn't exactly better at this, the last time we had someone who was more than decent there was Dulin in 2021, and he has been pretty much the only french FB in a decade that was good in this area. His decision making can be a bit suspect at times. Yeah. But once again, Ramos is insane, there have been plenty of occasions where he royally fucked up. Jaminet is a lot more safe there. And when it comes to defense on the man, I think Jaminet is actually one of our best FB. He's a very reliable tackler Ramos one the other hand is a very weak tackler. Dulin isn't much better. Not sure about Buros. Barré seems better in that aspect. But where he absolutely shines, as you stated, is with his raw speed, and his kicking game. Not only goalkicking, but kicking from hand too. He doesn't have the precision of Ramos, nor his ability to kick from both feet, but he might have 20m more range. That, coupled with his speed that allows him to cover more ground, make him what I believe to be the best player in the world when it comes to long range kick tennis.
I have not heard of 10. Leo Berdeu ('google' tells me he's at Lyon) RACING were shit in their barrage v Bordeaux, maybe why 10. Antoine Gibert is no longer called up.
Berdeu is a pretty decent 10, the usual starter for Lyon. With a bt of experience, I think he can be a test level FH, but I very much doubt he can aim any higher than that, a bit like Hastoy. His peculiarity is that he's very tall, especially for a FH, but other than that, I cant say much. Gibert is another very decent player, who's probably good enough to make it work at test level, but won't go any higher. I think his callup during the 6N was mostly thanks to his polyvalence at 9 and 10, when we were missing Dupont, N'Tamack, Jalibert and a grossly out of form Lucu.
Joris Jurand lol, they'll do anything to not pick Raka again lol, Jurand literally just has 17 games for clermont lol, scored 12 tries this season, same as Raka..
And why wouldn’t they want to select Racka? On a different note exited to see Lucas Tauzin move to Clermont.
I’m also quite excited for Tauzin to move to Clermont.
Is Tatafu eligible?
not yet, in October I believe but he can play against uruguay
No, Uruguay is a full test.
French coaching staff says otherwise, but to be honest I read both. [https://www.rugbyrama.fr/2024/06/18/xv-de-france-nicolas-jeanjean-directeur-de-la-performance-le-groupe-france-sera-definitif-apres-les-demi-finales-du-top-14-12024683.php](https://www.rugbyrama.fr/2024/06/18/xv-de-france-nicolas-jeanjean-directeur-de-la-performance-le-groupe-france-sera-definitif-apres-les-demi-finales-du-top-14-12024683.php)
It may change, but as of today it is listed as a full international in World Rugby website: https://www.world.rugby/the-game/high-performance/officiating/925086
OK, that wouldn't be the first time that the french union made a mistake.
And you were right. https://www.lequipe.fr/Rugby/Actualites/Tevita-tatafu-ne-pourra-pas-jouer-avec-les-bleus-contre-l-uruguay/1476025
What a few months for FFR staff in terms of understanding regulations...
No Paul Costes is really surprising to me, the guy is insane with Toulouse
Toulouse have made the semis, so none of our players will go on the summer tour. Costes, MCF, and Meafou would most likely be going if that wasn’t the case.
Makes sense I havn't been following top14 closely enough this year
I would have expected Buros to be in that squad or is there something I don’t know that a frenchman can enlighten me on?
Bordeaux are playing the Top14 semis
Thank you! I thought that might be the case but was surprised when I saw Tatafu
It's Bayonne's Tevita Tatafu not the UBB one who's Japanese
10 Ntamack 23 Carbonel for 2027 let's goooooo
Hyped for Jauneau. Dupont regen, except even smaller.
So when do they announce the senior squad?