DURBAN – After suffering their second bruising defeat to a reinvigorated Springboks side, France coach Guy Noves has more headaches to deal with ahead of the final dead-rubber Test at Ellis Park on Saturday.
Having juggled with selections during the series, he may well be forced into some injury changes this week.
Three players sat out of training at Northwood school in Durban on Tuesday, as the French side continues to soak up as much winter sun as they can. The visitors will travel up to the Highveld on Thursday.
Louis Picamoles, Yoann Huget, and up and coming hooker Camille Chat are all under observation as they try and prove their fitness.
Picamoles is suffering from a knee injury while Chat has still not recovered from his foot injury that kept him out of the matchday squad for the last game. Huget has a cut inside his mouth that has kept him out of contact.
It seems as if Noves has settled on his best available team in the Durban Test.
It would be a huge blow to the French effort to regain some pride, and to avoid a whitewash, if these players are not declared fit in time.
Picamoles, as well as Huget are instrumental for Noves, having started both games with the No 8 nominated as one of the players of the Six nations and the winger providing a lot of go forward along with the hulking Vermi Vakatawa on the other wing.