Autumn Nations Series | Jelonch and Baille included as France name 33-man squad for World Cup

by Tom Masters

Anthony Jelonch and Cyril Baille have been named in the France squad for the 2023 Rugby World Cup despite ongoing injury concerns as Fabien Galthie names his 33-man squad.

Jelonch, 27, suffered a torn ACL during the Guinness Six Nations, while Baille was recently ruled out for up to five weeks with a calf injury sustained against Scotland in the Summer Nations Series.

Both are included though by Galthie, suggesting they will feature at some stage in the World Cup.

Fly-halves Matthieu Jalibert and Antoine Hastoy are both included and will battle it out for the starting jersey following Romain Ntamack’s ACL injury.

Louis Bielle-Biarrey and Paul Boudehent are named in the squad after making their France debuts against Scotland, while Arthur Vincent, who played his first rugby match since September in Round 2 of the Summer Nations Series, is included.

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Antoine Dupont is named as captain, a role he has held since the 2022 Guinness Six Nations and he is one of 10 Toulouse players included.

Former club teammate Gaël Fickou is the most capped player in the squad with 80 caps, while there are just four players with fewer than 10 caps – Boudehent, Bielle-Biarrey, Hastoy and Reda Wardi.

Perhaps one of the biggest omissions is scrum-half Baptiste Serin, with Galthie opting for Dupont, Maxime Lucu and Baptiste Couilloud in that department, while Ethan Dumortier, who started all five of the Guinness Six Nations matches, is also overlooked.

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They are two of 12 players on stand-by for Les Bleus, along with Demba Bamba, Gaetan Barlot, Bastien Chalureau, Dylan Cretin, Thomas Laclayat, Yoan Tanga, Sebastien Taofifenua, Florian Verhaege, Brice Dulin and Emilien Gailleton.

Those 12 players will remain with the squad of 33 for a training camp in Monaco as Les Bleus prepare for their final match of the Summer Nations Series against Australia, before the Rugby World Cup opener against New Zealand on Friday September 8.

France squad for 2023 Rugby World Cup

Forwards

Dorian Aldegheri, Gregory Alldritt, Uini Atonio, Cyril Baille, Paul Boudehent, Pierre Bourgarit, François Cros, Sipili Falatea, Thibaud Flament, Jean-Baptiste Gros, Anthony Jelonch, Sekou Macalou, Julien Marchand, Peato Mauvaka, Charles Ollivon, Romain Taofifenua, Reda Wardi, Paul Willemse, Cameron Woki

Backs

Louis Bielle-Biarrey, Baptiste Couilloud, Jonathan Danty, Antoine Dupont, Gaël Fickou, Antoine Hastoy, Matthieu Jalibert, Melvyn Jaminet, Maxime Lucu, Yoram Moefana, Damian Penaud, Thomas Ramos, Gabin Villiere, Arthur Vincent