Rugby World Cup 2023: Who will replace Paul Willemse against New Zealand and the rest of the World Cup?
Due to a quadriceps injury, Paul Willemse is likely to miss the entire World Cup (September 8 – October 28). Then the question arises about his replacement in the second line, certainly next to Thibaut Flament, who leaves as almost a starter.
Cameron Walkie
The second or third row from Racing 92 is a natural and logical candidate to replace Paul Willems. The long-time former Bordeaux player has been a regular for France’s XV in recent years, particularly alongside powerhouse Montpellier. The 24-year-old former Bordeaux player has already won 20 caps for the Blues. He played remarkably well in the entirety, both times as a starter, in the 2022 Six Nations Championship as France claimed the Grand Slam title.
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Roman Taofinoa
This is a physical profile that is very similar to that of Paul Willemse. The 32-year-old second row height is 2 m tall and weighs 127 kg. International since 2012, Lyon is the most experienced player, who could compensate for Willemse’s absence. In particular, it has 43 choices. More recently, he has been used frequently as a finisher by Fabien Galthiet in France’s recent XV Championship campaigns.
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Bastian Chaloro
Present in the expanded 42-man squad, the Montpellier second-row should replace Paul Willemse in the 33-man squad for France’s World Cup XV. It would be a surprise to see him start alongside Thibaut Flament in important games for the Blues. The player, who played at Toulousan between 2009 and 2014, has just four selections for the Blues and just one as a starter, and that was in Scotland, on August 5, in France’s first World Cup warm-up match.
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