France player ratings vs Japan | Nations Championship 2026

France player ratings: France’s July Nations Championship campaign wrapped up in style, as the Les Bleus put out another resolute performance to claim a 42-15 win at Tokyo’s Japan National Stadium.

The combo Lucu-Ntamack-Jalibert worked to perfection yet again, delivering numerous key plays that set France on the winning path, with Maxime Lamothe, Emmanuel Meafou and Lenni Nouchi excellently commanding the pack.

1. Jefferson Poirot – 5.5
A lukewarm performance at best for Jefferson Poirot, who faced more than a couple of challenges in the scrum, conceding one penalty and one free-kick. The prop was also involved in Sojiro Otsuka’s try, making a massive missed tackle that gave the opposite loosehead the keys to the French in-goal area.

2. Maxime Lamothe – 8
Class outing for Maxime Lamothe, who marshalled the French lineout and driving maul to perfection, nailing down the right timings to put his side in the driver’s seat. Made seven tackles, scored a brace of tries and was relentless until he was subbed off.

3. Regis Montagne – 7
Enjoyed a far more positive evening than Poirot, not only due to having squeezed two scrum penalties from Sojiro Otsuka, but also for his commitment to keeping France’s attacking momentum going. Looked sharp in his tackling duties as well, claiming ten successful tackles by the time he came off.

Fixture

Nations Championship

Japan

15 - 42

Full-time

France

All Stats and Data

4. Florian Verhaeghe – 6
Did his role well in the lineout and counter-maul without excelling in any other areas of the game. Came off at half-time.

5. Emmanuel Meafou – 7.5
Industrious day from the behemoth Toulouse lock, with Meafou making several carries that made good ground, flooring Japanese defenders. Was a menacing and ruthless presence throughout the tussle, looking always energised and ready to make another tackle or carry.

6. Lenni Nouchi – 7.5
It may have appeared a quiet outing from the Montpellier enforcer, but the blindside flanker was heavily involved in snuffing out several Japanese plays that had the potential to become try-scoring opportunities. Narrowed down the opposition’s attacking possibilities from the set-piece, a detail that was pivotal for his side’s win. Came off limping, a worrying sight for Montpellier and France.

7. Marko Gazzotti – 7
It was by some distance Marko Gazzotti’s best performance in the last three weeks, with the Union Bordeaux-Begles powerhouse packing two dominant tackles and winning the gain-line 70% of the time.

8. Alexandre Roumat – 7.5
While Roumat was negatively involved in Japan’s opening try, in truth, the No. 8 was a vigorous driving force for the visiting side. His polished physicality proved a major challenge for Japan’s defence, which struggled to contain Roumat and prevent him from making valuable running metres. Collected a try and helped his side earn their fifth.

9. Maxime Lucu – 8.5
Another stellar performance from the Les Bleus sharpshooter. Besides the five successful conversions, Lucu was instrumental in giving his team direction, mainly when Japan was putting heavy pressure on them. Bagged a try from a cunning ruck play, slipping in when the opposition was expecting a wide pass, linking well with Romain Ntamack and Matthieu Jalibert.

10. Romain Ntamack – 7.5
He wasn’t as exciting as Matthieu Jalibert, but he did his role well, building several promising plays that put France deep inside Japan’s half. His tactical positioning was excellent in preventing Japan from finding any cracks out the back. The partnership with Jalibert worked to perfection, with both of them wreaking havoc on the opposing defence.

11. Aaron Grandidier-Nkanang – 6.5
It was just one of those games where the ball rarely found its way to one side of the field, preventing the flashy Aaron Grandidier-Nkanang from doing what he likes most: run with the ball. Made a few defensive blunders and was penalised twice for holding on to the ball on the ground.

12. Yoram Moefana – 7.5
Was a handful for the Brave Blossoms, slipping through the opposition’s grasp to set up a handful of sharp plays, two resulting in celebrations for Les Bleus. Made good use of his offloading game to add even more colour to France’s attacking approach.

13. Fabien Brau-Boirie – 7
It was a game defined more by tactical discipline than individual flair for Fabien Brau-Boirie. The centre was tasked with supporting the rapid distribution of Lucu and Ntamack, leaving him with few chances to showcase his attacking strengths.

14. Theo Attissogbe – 7.5
Unbeaten in the aerial contest, Theo Attissogbe didn’t need too many opportunities to create something special. Key to helping France reach the whitewash for a fifth time, the winger was a steady threat who kept trying to find his luck from a loose ball.

15. Matthieu Jalibert – 8.5
It could’ve been another masterclass from the UBB magician, if not for a yellow card that could’ve had some minor implications were it not for his side’s top-level defence. The utility back was voracious in attacking the Japanese line, finding cracks left and right and ultimately nabbing two tries of his own. Has to be (partially) blamed for Japan’s first try, but aside from that misstep, he was on top of his game.

REPLACEMENTS

16. Peato Mauvaka – 6
Brought more dynamism as an attacking operator, but the lineout work wasn’t at the same level as Lamothe’s.

17. Reda Wardi – 6
Refreshed the scrum output and completed a few tackles.

18. Sipili Faletea – 6.5
Made a strong impression during his 25-minute cameo, consistently winning the physical battle whenever he was called upon to carry.

19. Hugo Auradou – 5.5
Looked rattled, making several handling mistakes and missing the timing of the entry point a handful of times.

20.  Tom Staniforth – 6
Made an instant impact when he came on, forcing two lineout mistakes from Japan. Was ready to get involved in the gritty side of the game.

21. Killian Tixeront – 5.5
Did nothing significant in France’s win and was caught slowing down the ball at the ruck twice.

22. Paul Graou – 6
Came on when the game’s destiny had already been decided, looking lively in his first outing as a Les Bleus international.

23. Kalvin Gourgues – 6.5
Injected pace whenever he was involved, even if opportunities were limited. Was reliable defensively, closing down space out wide and helping prevent Japan from capitalising on their rare scoring chances.