Rugby

Injured Woki omitted from France Six Nations squad as Cros and Willemse return

Woki sustained injury in Champions Cup game against Harlequins on Sunday and will be out of action for six to eight weeks

Paul Willemse of France celebrates scoring against Wales. Photograph: David Rogers/Getty

Tue Jan 17 2023 - 20:06

France forward Cameron Woki, who fractured his hand last weekend, was left out of the country’s Six Nations squad as head coach Fabien Galthié named his 42 players on Tuesday.

Woki, who plays in the second or third row, sustained the injury in Racing 92′s 30-29 win over Harlequins in the Champions Cup on Sunday and will be out of action for six to eight weeks.

France, who will host the World Cup later this year, start their campaign away to Italy on February 5th. Back rower Francois Cros and lock Paul Willemse are back in the squad after missing the autumn series because of injury, while Galthie also selected eight uncapped players, although only Louis Bielle-Biarrey has never been called up before. Cros has only played a few seconds with Toulouse this season but is expected to be back in full action for the Six Nations tournament.

Willemse has been starting for Montpellier on a regular basis since mid-December. Les Bleus, who are on a 13-match winning streak, will be looking to become the first team to complete back-to-back Grand Slams in the Six Nations. They will be without several other injured players, including centre Jonathan Danty and hooker Peato Mauvaka.

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France squad for the 2023 Guinness Six Nations

Forwards: Cyril Baille (Toulouse), Dany Priso (Toulon), Reda Wardi (La Rochelle); Uini Atonio (La Rochelle), Sipili Falatea (Bordeaux-Bègles), Mohamed Haouas (Montpellier), Gaëtan Barlot (Castres), Teddy Baubigny (Toulon), Julien Marchand (Toulouse), Bastien Chalureau (Montpellier), Thibaud Flament (Toulouse), Romain Taofifenua (Lyon), Thomas Lavault (La Rochelle), Paul Willemse (Montpellier), Thomas Jolmès (Bordeaux-Bègles), Grégory Alldritt (La Rochelle), Alexandre Bécognée (Montpellier), Dylan Cretin (Lyon), François Cros (Toulouse), Anthony Jelonch (Toulouse), Sekou Macalou (Stade français), Charles Ollivon (Toulon), Yacouba Camara (Montpellier), Paul Boudehent (La Rochelle)

Backs: Antoine Dupont (Toulouse), Nolann Le Garrec (Racing 92), Léo Coly (Montpellier), Antoine Hastoy (La Rochelle), Matthieu Jalibert (Bordeaux-Bègles), Romain Ntamack (Toulouse), Julien Delbouis (Stade français), Gaël Fickou (Racing 92), Emilien Gailleton (Pau), Yoram Moefana (Bordeaux-Bègles), Pierre-Louis Barassi (Toulouse), Romain Buros (Bordeaux-Bègles), Melvyn Jaminet (Toulouse), Matthis Lebel (Toulouse), Damian Penaud (Clermont), Thomas Ramos (Toulouse), Ethan Dumortier (Lyon), Louis Bielle-Biarrey (Bordeaux-Bègles).

(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2023

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