Grégory Alldritt rejoins Les Bleus to face South Africa

A return after a long absence

Former captain for a match against Australia in late 2025 in the absence of Antoine Dupont, the La Rochelle player had subsequently disappeared from the selections. According to TV5Monde, his performances were judged insufficient for the 2026 Tournament, before a calf injury sidelined him last July. Although his current club performances are described as decent without being brilliant by the same media outlet, his experience is being called upon to compensate for numerous withdrawals.

Many key players unavailable

Fabien Galthié's squad has to cope with the absence of several key players. TV5Monde reports that important figures such as the Toulouse players Julien Marchand, Thibaud Flament, Emmanuel Meafou and Thomas Ramos are currently injured. Bordeaux-Bègles player Matthieu Jalibert is also missing for the start of the season. On the other hand, centre Gaël Fickou has not been called up despite his recent transfer to Toulon.

New faces and players for the future

To complete his squad, the coaching staff has called upon new profiles. According to TV5Monde, 23-year-old La Rochelle youngster Karl Sorin joins the forwards. Among the backs, the staff has selected Tani Vili as well as Jeremy Ward, although the latter is only eligible to play for France starting next year. The list also includes 20 and 21-year-old players, such as Fabien Brau-Boirie and Théo Attissogbe, to take part in this gathering on Wednesday.