Galthie's spolit for options out wide

WHENEVER an international match is on the horizon, whether or not there’s a Rugby World Cup on – there is, by the way, in case you hadn’t noticed – coaches’ “selection headaches” become a hot topic of conversation.

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The coaches themselves, and France’s Fabien Galthie is absolutely no exception, routinely brush off reporters’ questions on exactly this topic, insisting that problems would be worse if there was no choice to make.

Remember what Galthie said after his ‘impress me’ France squad gave up a big first-half lead to Scotland in the first World Cup warm-up match way back in August? “The players are growing, the team too, and that’s why I don’t have a headache. I would if it was the other way around and players weren’t living up to expectations.”

That’s a typical variation in Galthie major on the standard speak-plenty-say-little, fill-theair-with-words theme of coaches when asked about their selection options.

It was also the match in which a certain French 20-year-old called Louis Bielle-Biarrey made the step-up from age-grade international rugby to senior international rugby.

He now has five tries in six Tests, and has overtaken Gabin Villiere as France’s first-choice 11.

In other circumstances, Bordeaux youngster Bielle-Biarrey – who skipped the Under-20 World Championship tournament in South Africa to join the senior squad – would be playing a greater role in France’s World Cup coverage, whether he wanted to or not.

But that injury to Antoine Dupont and the fact that Damian Penaud, over on the opposite wing (officially, at least), is racing up Les Bleus’ try-scorer’s list - he’s now second, with 35 to his name, three behind Serge Blanco - means he’s been allowed to hover serenely under most media radars.