France’s protected players: Bordeaux, Pau and Toulouse hit hardest

The 23 protected players account for 9,319 minutes and 120 starts in the Top 14 and Europe this season.

Fabien Galthie’s staff on Wednesday evening named the 23 players kept at Marcoussis, who will miss round 8 of the Top 14, and released 19 others to their clubs. Three clubs, Bordeaux Begles, Pau and Toulouse, account for 17 of the 23 protected players.

The arrangement stems from the agreement between the FFR and the LNR: with no France game at the weekend, 23 players stay at the national rugby centre, against 28 in Test weeks, RMC Sport noted. The other 19 members of the 42-man squad are available to their clubs this weekend, before France host Fiji in Lyon on 7 November.

Bordeaux lose a third of their starts

With seven protected players (Bielle-Biarrey, Falatea, Lamothe, Lucu, Moefana, Poirot, Woki), Bordeaux Begles are the hardest hit. The seven have played 2,887 minutes in the Top 14 and Europe this season, 30.1% of the squad’s playing time, and made 40 of the club’s 120 starts. Maxime Lucu and Cameron Woki have played 560 minutes each, Louis Bielle-Biarrey 480. Bordeaux get back Nicolas Depoortere and Damian Penaud, 662 minutes between them, to host Bayonne on Saturday (4.35pm). Bayonne have no protected players and recover all four internationals: Esteban Capilla, Guillaume Cramont, Alexandre Fischer and Tevita Tatafu have 27 appearances, 21 starts and 1,551 minutes, 16.4% of Bayonne’s playing time.

Pau v Toulouse, the fixture hit hardest

On Sunday evening (9.05pm), Pau and Toulouse will be without ten players between them. For Pau, Theo Attissogbe, Hugo Auradou, Emilien Gailleton, Aaron Grandidier-Nkanang and Thomas Laclayat account for 2,112 minutes, 22.1% of the club’s playing time, and 28 of 120 starts. Gailleton has played every minute of the six games he started. For Toulouse, Francois Cros, Antoine Dupont, Kalvin Gourgues, Peato Mauvaka and Romain Ntamack represent 2,118 minutes (22.8%) and 25 starts. Each club is therefore without more than a fifth of its playing time this season. Toulouse regain Joshua Brennan (450 minutes) and Anthony Jelonch, who has played only twice this season (66 minutes). Pau get back Axel Desperes, used in all eight games.

Smaller losses elsewhere

At Jean-Bouin, La Rochelle are without Paul Boudehent and Oscar Jegou (859 minutes, 9%) but have Gregory Alldritt and Nolann Le Garrec, while Stade Francais regain Leo Barre, Tani Vili and Jeremy Ward, 1,228 minutes and 15 starts. Toulon lose Jean-Baptiste Gros and Charles Ollivon (609 minutes) for their trip to Perpignan, who welcome back Theo Forner, a starter in all seven Top 14 rounds. Lyon host Vannes without Mickael Guillard, 547 minutes from seven starts. Montpellier regain Tyler Duguid and Reda Wardi against Castres, who lose Thomas Staniforth but keep Louis Le Brun. Clermont v Racing 92 is the only game with no player involved.

In total, the 23 protected players account for 9,319 minutes and 120 starts in the Top 14 and Europe this season. A new 42-man squad is due on Sunday.

Club by club