France suffer triple blow as Boks loom
INJURY UPDATE: France has lost three key players on the eve of their year-end campaign, which includes meeting the World Cup champion Springboks.
Prop Jean-Baptiste Gros, second row forward Florian Verhaege and fullback Romain Buros have been ruled out of France’s November Tests through injuries, the French Rugby Federation announced on Sunday.
Gros, 23, has been replaced in the squad by uncapped Stade Francais loosehead Clement Castets, Verhaeghe by Bordeaux-Begles lock Thomas Jolmes and Buros by Castres’ 20-year-old Louis Le Brun.
Toulon’s Gros broke his forearm in this past Saturday’s win over Le Brun’s club in the French Top 14 and was set to start fixtures against Australia, South Africa and Japan with Toulouse’s Cyril Baille already sidelined.
Last week Les Bleus coach Fabien Galthie called up Jolmes’ team-mate Bastien Vergnes-Taillefer with No.8 Jordan Joseph suffering from a fitness issue.
Galthie’s side faces the Wallabies on November 5 in Paris, World Cup winners the Springboks a week later in Marseille and the Brave Blossoms on November 20 in Toulouse.
