France coach Fabien Galthié has recalled a clutch of experienced players for next week's Nations Championship Test against South Africa, with the squad reshaped by a mounting injury toll in the backs.
Galthié has brought back hooker Julien Marchand, 31, who returned from a thigh injury for Toulouse on Saturday and could slot straight into the starting front row against a Springbok pack that has caused France serious problems in recent years. Centre Gaël Fickou, 32, and winger Teddy Thomas, 33, also return, as do flyhalf Louis Carbonel — absent from a France matchday squad since 2022 — and winger Gaël Drean, who scored for Toulon on Saturday in his first club appearance following six months out after heart surgery.
The backline situation remains precarious. Romain Ntamack went off with a shoulder injury during Saturday's 54-17 win over Fiji in Lyon, joining flyhalves Matthieu Jalibert and fullback Thomas Ramos on the sidelines.
France's record against the Springboks provides the sharpest context: Les Bleus have won just once in the last 10 meetings dating back to 2009, and South Africa have beaten them in five consecutive Tests at the Stade de France, the most recent a one-point World Cup quarter-final victory in 2023.