Jegou out, Capilla in line for first cap

Fabien Galthié confirmed Oscar Jegou’s withdrawal on Thursday as he named his team for the first game of the second phase of the Nations Championship.

“We are not taking any risks”

“He has damaged rib cartilage, we are not taking any risks, we are letting him recover. We hope it won’t be too long and we hope he can be back as soon as Sunday,” the head coach told a press conference, as reported by RMC Sport. Jegou, 23, who has 15 caps according to Sud Ouest, left the national camp with the fourteen players released to their clubs on Wednesday evening.

He was due to play a hybrid role on a six-two bench, able to cover centre. He started two of France’s three games in July and has played six Top 14 games this season, five of them as a starter.

Capilla, ten tries last season

Esteban Capilla, 23, has never played for France, despite several call-ups to camps and tours. The Bayonne back-rower played one game for France A last season. In the Top 14, he scored ten tries in 17 games, 16 of them starts. This season he has eight games, five starts and two tries.

The team

Attissogbe; Grandidier-Nkanang, Gourgues, Moefana, Bielle-Biarrey; Ntamack, Dupont (capt.); Woki, Cros, Boudehent; Guillard, Verhaeghe; Falatea, Lamothe, Gros.

Replacements: Mauvaka, Poirot, Montagne, Staniforth, Ollivon, Capilla, Lucu, Gailleton.

Jegou joins a long list of absentees this autumn, including Thomas Ramos, Matthieu Jalibert, Julien Marchand, Emmanuel Meafou and Anthony Jelonch.