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Cameron Woki walkout fuels speculation around French unrest
By Ian Cameron
An apparent decision by France second row Cameron Woki to opt out of traveling to Cardiff with the national team as the 24th man – choosing instead to return to his club Racing 92 – has cast fresh doubt on the tenure of head coach Fabien Galthie.
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This decision comes after Woki was excluded from the 23-man matchday squad following a series of performances that failed to meet expectations. Despite coming off the bench against Ireland and starting in France’s last two Tests, Woki has struggled to make a significant impact.
Galthie then announced a new second-row pairing of Emmanuel Meafou and Thibaud Flament to start, with Romain Taofifenua named on the bench, with Woki set to travel as the 24th man.
The revelation of Woki’s refusal to serve as a backup was brought to light by Bernard Jackman during RTE’s coverage of the Wales-France match, highlighting a potential rift within Galthie’s squad. The former Dragons head coach has good contacts in France from his time in charge of Grenoble.
This apparent act of defiance by Woki points to deeper issues of unrest and dissatisfaction within the French setup, which has been underwhelming in their Six Nations campaign thus far.
While their win over Wales this afternoon will help, the incident will place Fabien Galthie under more pressure, with the French press and rugby public setting high expectations for the team.
Galthie – who has been hailed for revitalizing French rugby and leading them to notable successes in recent years – now faces scrutiny over his squad management and tactical decisions in the absence of superstar halfback Antoine Dupont, who is away playing sevens.
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