France XV coach Fabien Galthié has unveiled his starting XV for the second test match against Japan this Saturday in Tokyo. He made only one change: Max Spring takes the place of Melvyn Jaminet at the back.
It was expected, it is now official. At 21, Max Spring will honor his very first selection for the France team this Saturday during the second test match against Japan, in Tokyo (kick-off at 7:50 a.m. French time). The Racing 92 full-back will replace the future Toulousain Melvyn Jaminet (12 caps, 160 points) in jersey No. 15, and this is the only change made by Fabien Galthié in his starting XV compared to that of the first. match won 42-23 last week under the Aichi heat wave. Wednesday at a press conference, Laurent Labit, the coach of the French attack, was full of praise for the native of the Basque Country. “Max rose through the ranks one by one to become a starter at Racing 92. He has an interesting profile which is similar to that of Brice Dulin, by his morphology, his ability to counter-attack as by his left foot. It’s a position where we also have a lot of wealth: Melvyn Jaminet has never disappointed us. He has played the last twelve games with us, Anthony Bouthier is coming back well, Brice Dulin too. All this is good for the France team”. Passed by the teams of France U16, U18 and U20, Max Spring, whose mother is Basque and the father New Zealand, was one of the revelations of the season in Top 14, with nine games played, all as holder, with Racing 92.
Moefana will hold her place well
Yoram Moefana, excellent in the first match but injured in the ankle, will be able to hold his place in the center alongside Virimi Vakatawa, while Damian Penaud and Matthis Lebel will lead the wings. The Jalibert-Lucu hinge is renewed and it is the n°9 who will be in charge of the kicks. Pierre Bourgarit, reduced by a double crutch in the thigh, will take place on the bench. A bench where there is also only one change: the third line of Racing 92 Ibrahim Diallo (1 selection, during the Tour in Australia last year) replaces Christopher Tolofua. A good fifteen players (they were 42 on the list) will therefore have made the trip to Japan without wearing the blue jersey.
The probable starting composition: Spring – Penaud, Vakatawa, Moefana, Lebel – (o) Jalibert, (m) Lucu – Tanga, Ollivon (cap), Cretin – Jolmes, Flament – Bamba, Mauvaka, Gros
Replacements: Bourgarit, Priso, Falatea, Lavault, Diallo, Macalou, Couilloud, Hastoy
