Crisis For Les Bleus: Ntamack Injury Blow Leaves France Playmaker Depleted vs Springboks

France have been dealt a significant blow ahead of their eagerly anticipated Nations Championship clash against the Springboks after suffering an injury setback during their emphatic 54-17 victory over Fiji in Lyon.

Although Fabien Galthié’s side produced an impressive attacking display on Saturday, the victory came at a cost, with fly-half Romain Ntamack suffering a shoulder injury that is expected to rule him out of France’s remaining Nations Championship fixtures.

The injury adds to an already lengthy list of unavailable players and leaves the French coaching staff facing some important selection decisions ahead of their meeting with the world champion Springboks.

France are scheduled to face South Africa at the Stade de France this Friday, 13 November, in what promises to be one of the standout encounters of the November international programme.

Ntamack’s return to the French starting line-up against Fiji was particularly significant, marking his first international appearance alongside Antoine Dupont since March 2025.

However, their reunion was short-lived.

The Toulouse fly-half was forced off during the first half after injuring his left shoulder. Following the match, Galthié confirmed that the injury was serious enough to rule him out for the remainder of the competition.

His absence represents a considerable setback for France, particularly with Matthieu Jalibert and Thomas Ramos also unavailable, while Antoine Hastoy is another notable absentee.

The situation leaves France short of specialist fly-half options heading into a clash against a Springbok side renowned for its physical intensity and defensive pressure.

Louis Carbonel has subsequently been called up to the squad as Ntamack’s replacement.

France’s injury list continues to grow

Ntamack is not the only major absentee causing concern for Galthié.

France’s original November squad was already weakened by several significant injuries:

• Matthieu Jalibert (fly-half): Unavailable, leaving France without another of their leading playmakers.
• Thomas Ramos (full-back): Also sidelined, depriving France of an experienced attacking option and reliable goal-kicker.
• Thibaud Flament (lock): Missing from the November squad.
• Emmanuel Meafou (lock): Another significant absence in the French second row.
• Pierre-Louis Barassi (centre): Unavailable through injury.
• Demba Bamba (prop): Also among the injured players.
• Romain Ntamack (fly-half): Now added to the injury list following the encounter against Fiji.

There is, however, some positive news for the French. Hooker Julien Marchand has recovered sufficiently from a thigh injury to return to the international setup after making his comeback for Toulouse.

His return is particularly important given the physical challenge awaiting France against South Africa’s formidable forward pack.

Galthié reshuffles France’s squad

In response to the growing injury concerns and the need for additional experience, Galthié has reshuffled his 42-man squad, bringing in seven players ahead of the South African encounter.

The most notable inclusions are:

• Teddy Thomas – Wing
• Gaël Fickou – Centre
• Julien Marchand – Hooker
• Louis Carbonel – Fly-half
• Gaël Dréan – Wing
• Grégoire Arfeuil – Wing
• Loïc Crédoz – Forward

The upcoming encounter against South Africa presents a considerably different challenge from the one France faced against Fiji.

The Springboks will look to exploit any weaknesses in the French forward pack, particularly through their scrum, maul and physically demanding defensive approach.

France’s potential half-back combination will also be a major talking point. With Ntamack, Jalibert and Ramos unavailable, Galthié could consider pairing Antoine Dupont with Maxime Lucu, who has experience playing at fly-half for Bordeaux-Bègles.

The returns of Fickou and Marchand should help restore some much-needed experience, while Carbonel’s inclusion gives France another specialist option at fly-half.

For the Springboks, the timing of these French injuries will certainly be noteworthy. However, France remain a dangerous opponent, particularly at home in front of their passionate supporters.

Their emphatic victory over Fiji demonstrated that Les Bleus still possess considerable attacking firepower. Whether they can reproduce that performance against the world champions, with so many key players unavailable, is another question entirely.