JAMES HARRINGTON
FRENCH COLUMN

After this weekend’s Top 14 matches, Fabien Galthie’s chosen 42 will head to FFR’s spartan ‘Marcatraz’ headquarters for the pre-November internationals training camp.
There were no real surprises in Galthie’s selection. Even the nine uncapped players – Thierry Paiva, Thibaud Flament, Florent Vanverberghe, Florian Verhaeghe, Tani Vili, Donovan Taofifenua, Matthis Lebel, Maxime Lucu, and Romain Buros – have been on the selectors’ radar for some time.
Of those who missed out, La Rochelle hooker Pierre Bougarit may consider himself unlucky in the absence of ...