logo
Rugby-Galthie revamps France team with nine changes for last NZ test

Rugby-Galthie revamps France team with nine changes for last NZ test

The Star17-07-2025
FILE PHOTO: Rugby Union - Six Nations Championship - France v Scotland - Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France - March 15, 2025 France head coach Fabien Galthie during the warm up before the match REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq/File Photo
(Reuters) -France coach Fabien Galthie has overhauled his starting lineup, making nine changes for their series finale against New Zealand in Hamilton on Saturday, as Les Bleus aim to avoid a third consecutive defeat.
Tour captain Gael Fickou, who is the most-capped player in the squad (95 caps), and Rabah Slimani are back in the team after they both missed the second test last weekend, at centre and prop respectively.
Antoine Hastoy, who was named on the bench for the first two tests, will start at flyhalf alongside scrumhalf Nolann Le Garrec, who is set to play his third consecutive match as a starter as is winger Theo Attissogbe.
In contrast to the first two tests, no uncapped player is part of the squad.
France opened the tour with a narrow 31-27 defeat before suffering a heavy 43-17 loss in the second test last Saturday.
Team: 15–Leo Barre, 14–Theo Attissogbe, 13–Nicolas Depoortere, 12–Gael Fickou (capt), 11–Gabin Villiere, 10–Antoine Hastoy, 9–Nolann Le Garrec, 8–Mickael Guillard, 7–Joshua Brennan, 6–Alexandre Fischer, 5–Matthias Halagahu, 4–Hugo Auradou, 3–Rabah Slimani, 2–Pierre Bourgarit, 1–Baptiste Erdocio.
Replacements: 16–Gaetan Barlot, 17–Paul Mallez, 18–Demba Bamba, 19–Romain Taofifenua, 20–Killian Tixeront, 21–Pierre Bochaton, 22–Thibault Daubagna, 23–Emilien Gailleton.
(Reporting by Vincent Daheron in ParisEditing by Toby Davis)
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Soccer-Toone says all calm in Lionesses camp ahead Euro 2025 final clash with Spain
Soccer-Toone says all calm in Lionesses camp ahead Euro 2025 final clash with Spain

The Star

time2 days ago

  • The Star

Soccer-Toone says all calm in Lionesses camp ahead Euro 2025 final clash with Spain

Soccer Football - UEFA Women's Euro 2025 - Group D - France v England - Stadion Letzigrund, Zurich, Switzerland - July 5, 2025 England's Ella Toone on the pitch ahead of the match REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/ File Photo ZURICH (Reuters) -England midfielder Ella Toone knows millions of people in the nation will be watching when the holders take the pitch against world champions Spain in Sunday's Euro 2025 final, but she said the team are not feeling the pressure. England will be contesting their third successive major showpiece, squeaking into the decider in Basel after two edge-of-your-seat victories, but Toone said all is calm in the Lionesses camp. "The pressure is just the stuff that we put on ourselves," the 25-year-old said at the team's base camp on Friday. "We said that we wanted to make the nation proud, and I think we've done that already. We've reached a final for the third time in a row, and that's something that we can hold our heads high (about) and we should be proud of that. "We know that no matter what we do, we're always inspiring the next generation of young girls and boys starting out in their journey. (But) no pressure from our side." Toone hopes Sunday will be without the drama of their victories over Sweden, in the quarter-final, and Italy in the semi, with teenager Michelle Agyemang scoring at the death to rescue them from the brink in both. "It's mad, I'm not all for the drama but we've deffo made it dramatic," she said at England's base camp on Friday. "Sometimes football doesn't happen how you want it to, it would be lovely to win in 90 minutes, but we've never given up, we've probably given the fans at home heart attacks, but we've never given up. "I think we've almost killed (coach Sarina Wiegman) twice this tournament, she's said we have aged her," she added laughing. Wiegman is the first coach in either the men's or women's game to coach in five consecutive major tournament finals, including two with her native Netherlands before England hired her 2021. "When we go out on the pitch we fight for each other but also her, the staff and the fans watching," Toone said. Defender Lucy Bronze, who fired home what would be England's winning penalty in their shootout against Sweden, will break Jill Scott's record of 35 major tournament appearances by an England player, men or women. "She is an absolute beast," Toone said of the 33-year-old Bronze. "She's the oldest player in the squad and has just played two back-to-back 120 minutes. All the players look up to her. She's someone who you listen to when she talks and when she steps out on the pitch she has your back. "She's unbelievable - another great tournament for us. For a lot of people making one appearance at a major tournament is an achievement." Toone also heaped praise on England's youngest player Agyemang. Toone's contribution to England's 2022 Euro victory made her a fan favourite, and she was asked how the 19-year-old forward will similarly handle her newfound fame. "(Agyemang) might get papped eating a pasty like I did. I'll have to warn her about that," Toone said with a laugh. "It's mad. I'd think she is 30 years old, she's so mature and humble. She's come into the tournament with freedom, without a worry or care. She's been amazing for us, turned up in big moments when we needed her." (Reporting by Lori Ewing, editing by Pritha Sarkar)

England coach Wiegman has learned to enjoy the good times
England coach Wiegman has learned to enjoy the good times

New Straits Times

time2 days ago

  • New Straits Times

England coach Wiegman has learned to enjoy the good times

ZURICH: Sarina Wiegman sang a celebratory song in her native Dutch when England clinched a spot in the Euro 2025 final. She attempted to high-five assistant Darren Ward, but missed. She admitted she planned to treat herself with a "glass of something nice." If England's women's coach was reserved when hired in 2021, she said she has grown into the role, and her passion has been on full display at the Euros, particularly through two nail-biting knockout victories in which the Lionesses were on the brink of elimination. "First of all, my English has improved, so I understand a lot more, but also you learn more about people you work with," she said on Friday. "You learn more again about yourself and while I'm always working on developing the team, I always try to keep developing myself. "What I really wanted to do over all these years is try to enjoy it a little bit more, you have to be focused in this job, but you need to celebrate the moments that are good, it's really nice." As England get ready to contest their third successive major final on Sunday, when they face world champions Spain in the Euro 2025 showpiece, Wiegman's players have described her as a second mum – direct and demanding but caring and supportive. Ella Toone said the coach has been kind-hearted in the midfielder's first major tournament after the death of her father. Aggie Beever-Jones said after England's loss to France in their Euro opener, Wiegman put a consolatory arm around her and explained her reasons for not playing her in the game. Midfielder Keira Walsh called her "one of the best managers I've played for in terms of trying to make everyone feel loved." "It's a really difficult job when you're in a tournament, and obviously people want to play, people aren't, but she really, really cares about the human side," Walsh said. "Another thing that you notice when you play for her is how calm she is. It makes a massive difference in the 95th minute when you're losing 1-0, and you look to the side and she's very calm." Wiegman said the job can be a difficult balance. "I'm a caring person, so maybe that's the part, I care about them but at the same time I'm the coach, I'm making these hard decisions at the moment," she said. On Sunday, Wiegman will become the first person, in men's or women's soccer, to have coached teams in five consecutive major tournament finals. The 55-year-old, who is under contract through the 2027 World Cup, guided her native Netherlands to two finals before continuing that run with Euro 2022 champions England. Football Association executive Mark Bullingham said they will not let Wiegman leave for any amount of money, and Wiegman certainly does not sound like she is going anywhere. "I'm sorry, I'm still learning English but yes I have (fallen in love) with England," Wiegman said. "Otherwise I would not be sitting here with such a smile on my face. "This team has always shown so much resilience, I see that in abundance and I see that entirely through the prism of the Lionesses. They are absolutely the most resilient of people. They really want to work so hard and are so committed."

Marchand returns to world stage after Olympic heroics
Marchand returns to world stage after Olympic heroics

The Sun

time2 days ago

  • The Sun

Marchand returns to world stage after Olympic heroics

LEON MARCHAND will be swimming a reduced programme but the home hero of last year's Paris Olympics still intends to make a splash at the world championships starting in Singapore on Sunday. A year on from those Games, Europe's standout swimmer has dropped two of his four Olympic gold medal events to focus on the 200 and 400 metres individual medley (IM) with some possible relay action. With the next Los Angeles Games still three years away, the 23-year-old can take the luxury of racing the 200m without restraint. Having no races immediately before or after on the same day, the Frenchman can push to the limit and that could mean fireworks. As the swimmer's France-based coach Nicolas Castel observed this week, Marchand wanted to 'see what he was capable of'. The world already has a good idea of that: Last November Marchand broke the 200 IM short-course world record at a meet in Singapore and he can become a three-times world champion in the 200 and 400 IM after golds in both in 2022 and 2023. The 200 IM long course world record of 1:54.00 was set by American Ryan Lochte at the 2011 championships in Shanghai and Marchand clocked 1:54.06 in Paris. The Frenchman has held the 400 IM world record of 4:02.50 since the 2023 Fukuoka worlds in Japan and can become the first man to hold both at the same time since U.S. great Michael Phelps. Olympic champions David Popovici (200m freestyle) of Romania, Ireland's Daniel Wiffen (800m freestyle), Germany's Lukas Maertens (400m freestyle) and Italian Thomas Ceccon (100m backstroke) will also be chasing more gold. Wiffen, reigning world champion in the 800 and 1,500 freestyle, has said he wants Zhang Lin's 800m world record of 7:32.12 that was set in the era of now-banned super-suits in Rome in 2009 and is considered by many to be out of reach now. 'I think that this world record is definitely the hardest to break but I believe that all world records will be broken and I'm willing to push myself to that limit to get it,' Wiffen told Swimming World this month. Maertens, 23, has already done something similar -- last April in Stockholm smashing compatriot Paul Biedermann's 400m world record from 2009 with a time of 3:39.96. Ceccon is the world record holder in 100m backstroke. Sweden's Sarah Sjostrom, the most successful swimmer in world championship history with 23 medals and another European star of Paris with gold in the 50 and 100m freestyle, will be absent from the championships as she is expecting her first child in August - REUTERS

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store