France lose second-row bruiser ahead of Bok Nations Championship clash

France lock Thibaud Flament has been ruled out of the upcoming Nations Championship campaign after suffering a shoulder injury. The 29-year-old Toulouse player completed the full 80 minutes in his club's 45-34 win over Bayonne on Sunday, but reports from L'Equipe indicate the issue will keep him sidelined for several weeks, causing him to miss upcoming Tests against Fiji, South Africa, and Argentina.

Flament's injury leaves head coach Fabien Galthié without both of his frontline locks, as Emmanuel Meafou is also expected to miss the November fixtures due to a knee injury. Toulouse will also be without Flament, Meafou, and Clément Vergé for their Investec Champions Cup campaign, while France flyhalf Matthieu Jalibert is dealing with a thigh injury.