The French Rugby Federation announced on Monday that Paul Willemse, the second line holder of the XV of France, would miss the last match of the Blues in the 6 Nations Tournament, next Saturday against Wales. Romain Taofifenua should replace him.
The XV of France will be deprived of one of its heroes to welcome Wales, Saturday at the Stade de France during the 5th and last day of the 6 Nations Tournament. Paul Willemse, holder since the start of the competition and who was part of the team on Saturday on the Twickenham lawn which inflicted a historic knockdown on the XV of the Rose on his land (53-10), will not face the Welsh . Monday, two days after this show of force by Fabien Galthié’s players against the English, the French Rugby Federation (FFR) announced the withdrawal of the solid 30-year-old second line from 28 selections.
Released after fifty minutes spent Saturday on the lawn of Twickenham, where he had signed his best performance since the start of the Tournament, according to the majority of the specialists, with in particular as a high point a counter ruck alongside François Cros bringing a penalty in the 35th minute, certainly without touching the slightest ball and without either displaying the level which was his last year, the MHR player did not seem injured when he gave way to the 50th to Romain Taofifenua.
First tenure for Romain Taofifenua?
The FFR has not revealed the reason why Willemse left the group at the end of the weekend (according to The teamthe player would be hit in the thigh), the instance indicating only that the Montpellier crowned champion of France in 2022 with the club of Hérault and winner twice of the European Challenge, there also under the colors of the MHR, “was back to his club today.
To replace the French player of South African origin in the second line at kick-off against the Welsh, certainly alongside Thibaut Flament, who has not missed a single second since the start of the Tournament, excellent on Saturday and rewarded with his magnificent performance by two tries, Galthié should trust the same Romain Taofifenua who succeeded him this weekend on the English lawn. It would then be the first tenure this year for the second line of the LOU. Anyway, Willemse absent, it’s a big blow for these Blues who can still hope to beat the Irish at the post.
