Lyon (AFP) – The French XV begins its four Nations Championship matches on Saturday with the reception of Fiji in Lyon, with the imperative of an improved victory so as not to spoil its great summer tour and to anticipate the clash against South Africa more calmly.
Published on: 07/11/2026 - 07:04
The days are getting shorter, the leaves have fallen from the trees and a cold wind is now sweeping the Marcoussis National Rugby Center: the time has come for the November matches for Fabien Galthié and the French XV.
The Blues are diving back into this “tremendous idea” that is the Nations Championship, according to the coach’s words on Thursday. He can be delighted with the Blues' first steps in this new competition between hemispheres, since halfway through the group stage, his team is first in the North and can dream of a ticket for the grand final in London against the best selection from the South.
The objective is to end November by “bringing the trophy home”, assured second row Mickaël Guillard during the week. But first, to ensure not to lose the North at the end of the fourth day, we will have to beat Fiji by scoring at least four tries, synonymous with an offensive bonus.
This is enough to stay focused, even though Fiji are last in the South group with three losses this summer, including a humiliating 73-8 against England. Because the "Flying Fijians" have a new coach, the South African world champion Jake White, and their main forces that the Tricolores know well because they shine every week in the Top 14.
“Spectacular match”
“The Fijians are, first of all, players who have extraordinary individual talent. They love to play duels. They are powerful. They are skillful (...) They are spectacular players and it will be a very spectacular match,” praised Fabien Galthié.
“Against the Fijians, we have to face each other and it hurts. When we leave the field, we are more chewed up than usual,” smiled full-back Max Spring, used to rubbing shoulders with many in his club Racing 92.
The Blues have already had a reminder: a year ago, against this opponent in Bordeaux, they led 21-0 before being caught 21-21 just after the break (final victory 34-21).
The stakes surrounding this match make it possible to hide a little the reunion six days later with South Africa. The reigning double world champions, first in the South pool, return to the Stade de France on November 13 and are the big piece of the month for the Blues, after their last two victories, in the quarter-finals of the 2023 World Cup (29-28) and again in November 2025 (32-17).
The match against Fiji must also serve to find automatisms, like the Dupont-Ntamack hinge, who will play again in blue for the first time in more than 600 days, or to find new ones, as the Blues are decimated by injuries.
Marchand, Flament, Meafou, Jegou, Jalibert, Ramos... so many names absent on Saturday, and most of them for the weekends that follow. Several players (Falatea, Boudehent, Woki) therefore took the opportunity to make their return to the starting XV, and Fabien Galthié had to adapt a little by aligning François Cros in the third center line and Théo Attissogbe at the back.
And they will have a new defensive system to register with the new head of defense, Geoffrey Doumayrou. 80 minutes of fierce gameplay won't be too much for all these adaptations.
© 2026 AFP
The content you are trying to access does not exist or is no longer available.
