France secured a dominant 54-17 victory over Fiji at Lyon in the Rugby Nations Championship, but the win was immediately overshadowed by a shoulder injury to fly-half Romain Ntamack, as lefigaro.fr reported. Head coach Fabien Galthié addressed the media in the aftermath of the match, already turning his attention toward an upcoming Friday fixture against world number one and world champion South Africa. Galthié confirmed that Ntamack left the pitch immediately after feeling his shoulder dislocate during a tackle, and the player departed for comprehensive medical examinations to determine the severity of the damage.
The fixture marked a competitive return for Les Bleus after lengthy absences for several key squad members. Galthié noted that captain Antoine Dupont had not played since mid-March during the Six Nations, while other squad members had last featured in mid-July. Despite the long layoff and a rusty start that saw France concede two early tries, the team accumulated 17 competition points and collected a valuable five-point bonus victory by surpassing the 50-point threshold against the Fijian side.
Shoulder Injury Deepens Fly-Half Crisis Ahead of Springboks Clash
The loss of Ntamack compounds an extensive shortage at the number ten position for the French coaching staff. Galthié pointed out that the squad is currently missing four primary playmakers who have previously featured for the national team: Ntamack, Matthieu Jalibert, Antoine Hastoy—who performed strongly during the summer tour—and utility back Thomas Ramos. Following Ntamack’s exit, Maxime Lucu shifted into the playmaking role from the bench, partnering with Dupont to steer the team’s attack and tactical kicking game. Alongside Lucu, Axel Despérès of Pau has joined the setup, and Louis Carbonel was subsequently called up to strengthen the squad as preparations begin for the world champions.
Galthié reflected on the physical toll of the match and the tight six-day turnaround facing the coaching staff. The manager emphasized that the squad knows how to handle adversity, having faced difficult selection hurdles in past campaigns. With South Africa arriving in Europe following 13 matches and a clean break before facing Italy, France enters the fixture facing a daunting statistical challenge. Galthié maintained that the team intends to dig deep into their collective resources to produce an unpredictable performance against the reigning world champions.
Defensive Discipline and Strategic Adjustments at Marcoussis
France managed to keep their penalty count low throughout the 80 minutes, a statistic that Galthié attributed to the players’ growing confidence in their defensive system and collective strength. However, the coaching staff voiced dissatisfaction with conceding two tries, noting that the defensive alignment requires immediate fine-tuning before facing the Springboks’ powerful forward pack. The squad reconvenes at Marcoussis to finalize selection decisions ahead of the Wednesday team announcement.
Galthié declined to confirm whether Lucu would retain the starting fly-half jersey against South Africa, noting that official squad composition details will be revealed during the midweek press briefing.
