Kante Samba and Deliance called up by France

France have lost two more players before hosting Fiji: Anthony Jelonch, whose concussion protocol stayed unfavourable, and Joshua Brennan will not report to Marcoussis.

Fabien Galthié has called up two former France U20 internationals to replace them. According to Rugbyrama, Charles Kante Samba and Antoine Deliance are coming in as training partners and should be released on Wednesday evening, ahead of France-Fiji on Saturday, November 7 in Lyon.

Deliance, Lyon captain at 21

The Lyon flanker has started all six Top 14 games he has played this season, with 463 minutes and one try, scored against Vannes on Saturday. Karim Ghezal gave him the armband from round 1. The Lyon head coach predicted his call-up after the 48-25 win over Vannes, two days before Galthié made the call.

I’m even convinced he will go higher and that France will pick him before long, because what he does is very high level.

Karim Ghezal | Midi Olympique

Kante Samba, already established at La Rochelle

The La Rochelle lock has played six Top 14 games this season, four of them as a starter, with one try. Last season he played 21, starting 17, for 1,115 minutes, plus four Champions Cup starts. He joins a second row featuring Florian Verhaeghe, Hugo Auradou, Tyler Duguid, Mickaël Guillard and Tom Staniforth.

A squad that keeps changing

Jelonch had himself been called up to cover for Marko Gazzotti, before going off with a concussion at Pau. Fabien Brau-Boirie, Antoine Hastoy and Karl Sorin were injured the previous weekend. After Fiji, France host South Africa on Friday, November 13 at the Stade de France.