Romain Ntamack banned for Le Crunch? France’s seven fly-half options for England showdown after silly red card against Wales
We take a look at who could fill Romain Ntamack's void in the France starting XV.
France could be without fly-half Romain Ntamack for the Six Nations clash against England at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham next Saturday.
Playing in his first game since before the 2023 Rugby World Cup after a horrid run of untimely injuries, Ntamack was given his marching orders in the latter stages of the match after a lazy and frankly silly tackle attempt on Ben Thomas.
After a quick review of the incident, referee Paul Williams issued the playmaker with a yellow card with the tackle sent to be reviewed by the Foul Play Review Officer Damon Murphy.
Murphy reviewed the incident and deemed that it reached the red card threshold as Ntamack became the first player to receive a 20-minute red card in the Six Nations‘ history.
This means that unless the independent disciplinary panel deem that Ntamack’s actions did not reach the red card threshold, he will miss the round two clash with England at the very least with a two or three-week ban more likely.
With this in mind, we take stock of the options that head coach Fabien Galthie has at his disposal.
Frontrunner: Thomas Ramos
Despite having a plethora of quality fly-half options, Thomas Ramos is the likeliest to fill the void, stepping forward from the full-back position.
When Ntamack was sidelined for France through injury last November, it was Ramos who started in the number 10 jersey, starting against Japan, New Zealand and Argentina.
This could result in Louis Bielle-Biarrey shifting into the full-back role, which he has done repeatedly for his club Bordeaux, particularly if Damian Penaud is back fit for the fixture. However, the more likely option is that Leo Barré comes into the starting XV at full-back.
In the mix: Matthieu Jalibert
If not Ramos, then Matthieu Jalibert would be a more than capable option, in fact, many believe that the Bordeaux playmaker should be the first-choice fly-half.
Jalibert made headlines last November when he requested to leave the squad during the Autumn Nations Series when he was not even selected on the bench for the match against the All Blacks.
The 26-year-old is a brilliant talent with ball in hand and would slot almost seamlessly into the starting XV. France would certainly not be poorer with him in the number 10 jersey but all will depend on how much trust Galthie still has in him.
Sensibly, bringing Jalibert in would mean just one change while Ramos switching from full-back would result in two. Still, Galthie has preferred the former situation in recent times.
Unlikely but possible: Antoine Dupont
Antoine Dupont is no stranger to the number 10 jersey having featured in that role during his time with Castres, on occasion for Toulouse and has done so a handful of times in the latter stages of Test matches for France.
Frankly put, he is an incredible talent and would do a fine job at fly-half but would Galthie really move his star man out of his preferred position? It is unlikely that Dupont would start at fly-half but entirely possible. It’s more likely that he could shift into that role later in the match.
Unlikely: Antoine Hastoy and Leo Berdeu
Last year, the only two other players to start at fly-half for Les Bleus were Antoine Hastoy and Leo Berdeu, both doing so during the July tour to South America.
Both players have not been selected in the wider squad for the Six Nations but would be handy options for Galthie if he had to call upon them.
La Rochelle’s form has been mixed this season and Hastoy has had stiff competition in the form of Ihaia West and Hugo Reus for his starting role. Galthie may well be reluctant to select him on his current form but it’s worth remembering that he was in the World Cup squad when Ntamack went down.
While Lyon’s form has been mixed this season in the Top 14, Berdeu has been consistent and currently leads the competition as the top points scorer. He has been given precious few opportunities in the Test team and while he has been consistent, it seems a bit too much of a stretch to see him parachute into the starting XV.
Wild cards: Louis Carbonel and Joris Segonds
Joris Segonds earned an appearance in Galthie’s squad against Uruguay last year coming off the bench. He is another who is right down in the pecking order and it would be a real shock for him to get the nod against England.
Louis Carbonel’s success at youth level hasn’t translated to the Test arena despite his immense potential. He last played for Les Bleus back in 2021 and hasn’t got much of a sniff at a recall since.
Still, he is a real competitor and deserves a mention in the conversation at the very least despite the dreadful form of Stade Francais at the moment.
