| With Charles Ollivon and Anthony Jelonch also among the regulars out with injury, the lineup against Wales should see a mix of established internationals and relatively new faces. Louis Bielle-Biarrey, who scored four tries in November, misses the start of this week’s training camp in Marcoussis because of “dizziness” he experienced before Bordeaux’s match this weekend. Some of the less-established players of the wing’s age cohort – such as Léo Barré, Nicolas Depoortère, and Nolann Le Garrec – will enter the tournament this year with a year’s worth of international experience. Barré, for instance, has yet to rediscover the heights of his man-of-the-match performance against England last year, but his Ramos-like versatility in the backline should afford him enough playing time to cement his permanent status within the squad. Dominating the headlines, however, has been the controversial returns of the Pau lock Hugo Auradou and the La Rochelle flanker Oscar Jégou. The charges of aggravated rape for which the pair were detained during France’s tour of Argentina last summer were dismissed in December, three months after the court allowed them to return home. The verdict is being appealed by the complainant. Speaking last week on the radio channel RMC, Galthié explained that following the court’s decision, the two were now considered “innocent” and “available for selection” in the eyes of the France setup. In an interview for Monday’s Midi Olympique, the former scrum‑half was evasive when asked again about the divisive call‑ups: “I hear what’s being said about Hugo and Oscar, I understand it. I accept it.” Their return, however, seems especially premature given the FFR’s new player charter which has looked to restrict more tightly players’ behaviour and intake of alcohol (and other substances) while on international duty. The new rules were introduced in October, in the wake of a disastrous tour which also included Melvyn Jaminet’s racist remark on Instagram, for which he was fined €30,000 and handed a 34-week suspension. More broadly, French rugby has been looking to cut back the excesses of the infamous troisièmes mi-temps – the drunken post-match “third halves”. The inclusion of Jégou and Auradou, who while cleared of the charges nonetheless broke tour rules with their post‑match night out, at the earliest possible opportunity casts doubt over the sincerity of its effort to change the sport’s image in that regard. Slimani’s ‘second youth’ “Sometimes, in France, I had the feeling that I was finished. When you keep hearing: ‘He’s 35, he’s of no use anymore,’ you start to believe it,” Rabah Slimani told Midi Olympique shortly after his first call-up to the national team in over five years last week. The former Clermont prop’s decision to move to Leinster, becoming the first French player to represent the province, has paid dividends. Galthié himself has pointed to the increased recovery time of Ireland-based players, compared to the hectic schedules of those playing in France, as one of the reasons for the 35-year-old’s rejuvenation. “Since I’ve been in Dublin, nobody has spoken to me about my age. Here, a player is rated based on their performances, full stop,” Slimani adds. The first cap of his “second youth”, as he puts it, could come against the very opponents he played against in his last appearance with Les Bleus, in the 2019 World Cup quarter-final. Memory lane Wales may have lost every single one of their Test matches in 2024, but they do have a recent history of unlikely wins at the Stade de France. On their way to the title 20 years ago, they came back from behind to take down the reigning champions in Saint-Denis, led by Martyn Williams’ two tries in the first five minutes of the second half. Mike Ruddock’s men would take the decisive step towards Wales’ first grand slam in 27 years. Eight years on, it was Leigh Halfpenny who powered Wales to success in Saint-Denis, bouncing back from an opening defeat in Cardiff against Ireland to take the first step to retaining their title. While victory in 10 days’ time is unlikely to have a similarly transformative impact on Welsh rugby, it would be a fitting way to mark Gatland’s 150th match in charge. | 
France’s Damian Penaud scored six tries in Bordeaux’s victory against the Sharks. Photograph: Molly Darlington/Reuters 
