Matheo Frisach

He came on at Bayonne in the 31st minute, conceded a string of penalties, got a yellow card, and was replaced by the man he had replaced.

Mathéo Frisach’s first appearance in the Top 14 is not one he will want replayed. He came on at Bayonne in the 31st minute for Étienne Falgoux, was penalised repeatedly, took a yellow card, and watched Falgoux come back on in his place for the ten minutes. Clermont lost 31-18. He was nineteen.

Loosehead prop at Clermont, 1.88m and 127kg, and he started life as a back.

From Izon in the Gironde, he began at US Izon at five, moved to Libourne for a season and then to CA Bordeaux-Bègles in 2019. He played centre and full-back before the coaches moved him into the pack, then from No. 8 to loosehead while still in the under-14s. The FFR called him into hundred-player assessment camps three years running, at under-16, under-17 and under-18, and he played for France Under-18s against Italy in Parma.

The Clermont academy took him in for 2023-24. Before the following season he dropped from 133kg to 121kg to move better around the field, which is the sort of detail that tells you more about a young prop than any highlight reel.

Christophe Urios, who is his stepfather, picked him for that Bayonne match only because Giorgi Akhaladze was away with Georgia and Sacha Lotrian was injured. He was not supposed to play professionally at all that season. When Falgoux and Lotrian were both ruled out for the rest of it he stayed in the squad, came on well against Lyon and started against Castres. Seven matches, one start.

He was left out of the 2025 Junior World Championship squad and then called in when Noa Traversier got hurt. He made the 2026 Under-20 Six Nations squad with five Clermont teammates.

Enormously strong and still learning where the line is at scrum time. Discipline is the whole project.