France lose pivot ahead of Six Nations decider
INJURY UPDATE: France flyhalf Matthieu Jalibert said Sunday he was out of the Six Nations decider against Scotland after suffering a blow to the head in the victory over Wales.
“End of the Six Nations for me,” the 22-year-old posted on Instagram.
Toulon’s Louis Carbonel, who has three caps, has been called up to replace Jalibert, the French Rugby Federation announced.
Jalibert went off after 30 minutes for a concussion protocol on Saturday evening with France trailing Wales by three points. He did not return and Romain Ntamack played the last 50 minutes.
Jalibert suffered “a blow to the face and he left because we preferred not to take any risks”, said France coach Fabien Galthie.
With three minutes left, France trailed by 10 points and were down to 14 men but scored two late tries to win 32-30.
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France could pip Wales to the title if they beat Scotland by 21 points and score at least four tries at Stade de France in a coronavirus-delayed match that will end the tournament.
“It was a great opportunity for the team to showcase their talent and to showcase their skills to the world,” posted Jalibert, adding that the team was “very proud” of their achievements and the quality of their work.
Ntamack was France’s regular starter last year but suffered a fractured jaw in a Top 14 game in December which ruled him out of the start of the Six Nations.
