Uncapped Castres winger Rémy Grosso has been called up by France to replace the injured Yoann Huget. With speedster Teddy Thomas and veteran Maxime Médard also options, Philippe Saint-André has instead opted for the in-form Grosso, whose physical profile more closely resembles that of Huget.
Despite having great success first with Lyon, and now with Castres, where he moved in ahead of the 2013-14 season, this will be Grosso’s first involvement with Les Bleus at senior level, though he has appeared twice for France ‘A’ in the 2009 Nations Cup in Bucharest. He also participated in the European Olympic 7s qualifiers in both Moscow and Lyon, impressing with 12 tries in 12 matches.
At 189cm and 104kg, the 27 year old is best known for his bulldozing running style, a big fend, and an array of offloading skills. He is seen as a specialist winger, however, something which has likely hampered his selection in the past. Grosso will join up with the squad on Monday and will likely find himself pressed into immediate action against Romania on Wednesday.