In his list of 42, these uncapped eight make up just over 20% of the squad which will soon prepare for Test matches against Japan (November 9), New Zealand (November 16) and Argentina (November 22) - all of which will be shown live on TNT Sports.
Every one of the players has already passed through France's Marcoussis training base, either as Bleuets, as members of 'France Développement', or as training members in the senior squad. But none have yet experienced an international selection.
Being part of the extended group doesn't guarantee their selection for game day, admittedly, but don't bet against witnessing this future generation of Les Bleus being thrown in at the deep end at some point next month.
Pierre Bochaton, second row/back row, 23: The 6'4", 103 kg forward is one of the key players for Union Bordeaux-Bègles, a club with which he has extended his contract until 2028. He played soccer and judo before discovering rugby at the age of 10.
His rise has been spectacular. After six seasons playing in the violet of Union Sportive Bressane in Bourg-en-Bresse, who were then in Nationale (France's third division), he was spotted by Galthié and his staff and invited to be a training partner with the senior France team at Marcoussis for the 2021 Guinness Men's Six Nations.
Joshua Brennan, second row, 22: Dublin-born Brennan fell into rugby when he was little. Son of Irish international Trevor Brennan (13 caps, formerly of Leinster), and younger brother of Daniel, a rugby player with Toulon, Joshua arrived in Haute-Garonne a few months after his birth, when his father played for Stade Toulousain.
Standing at around 6'5" and weighing 118 kg, Brennan has featured on several occasions for French age-grade teams in all categories (U16, U17, U18, U20), and participated in two editions of the U20 Six Nations with the Bleuets (2020, when he was captain, and 2021). He could have become an Irish international, but it seems more than probable he will soon be capped for France this Autumn Nations Series.
Paul Costes, centre, 21: Another son of a notable player - in this case, former French international Arnaud Costes (14 caps between 1994 and 2000). Costes Jr. also discovered rugby when he was very young.
Costes has rarely left Toulouse, bar a stint in Colomiers between 2015 and 2018. Born and raised in the city, he is committed to Stade Toulousain, and was crowned world champion with the U20s last year. Costes very much represents the generation that will succeed Antoine Dupont's - for club and country.
Tevita Tatafu, prop, 22: Sharing a name with his cousin, a back rower at Union Bordeaux-Bègles who represents Japan at international level, Tatafu's bosses want to keep him in the Bayonne squad at least until 2026, to avoid losing him to several high-profile suitors.
His considerable stature means Tatafu often leaves a mark on the field, and he possesses all the qualities needed for modern-day rugby. Originally from Eua, one of the many other in the Tongan archipelago, he was born in Nuku'alofa, the capital of the island of Tongatapu, the largest in the kingdom.
He owes his arrival in France to his uncle, Toma Taufa, once a prop for Bayonne, who asked him to join him in the Basque Country. Tevita was 17 years old. Since November 2019, he is now officially a JIFF (Joueurs Issus des Filières de Formation - aka, French-qualified) and can aspire to being capped by France sooner rather than later.
Léo Berdeu, fly-half, 26: This call-up is a logical continuation of the young Lyon playmaker's performances. Last summer, Berdeu even wore the blue jersey during an uncapped match against Uruguay.
He boasts an impressive success rate at goal of over 95%. Originally from Cannes, he took his first steps in rugby in Grasse before joining Toulon, where he was spotted by head coach Pierre Mignoni, before committing to Lyon in 2020 until 2027.
Marko Gazzotti, back row, 20: In just one year in 2023, he already had impressive experience: first professional matches with Grenoble, then Bordeaux, then crowned best player of the U20 World Championship which was won by the French.
Born in Aix-les-Bains to an Italian father and Lithuanian mother, he discovered rugby at four years old. Gazzotti was called up to the French camp ahead of the Guinness Six Nations match against Italy this year, but was not retained afterward.
After suffering an ankle sprain last spring, Gazzotti (6'2" and 110 kg) came back even stronger thanks to a good pre-season.
Maxime Lamothe, hooker, 26: Like Gazzotti, Lamothe was also called up as a reinforcement during this year's Championship, but did not play.
He is one of the last of the 2018 U20 world champion generation to have not yet broken through to the senior side. This was a golden generation from which emerged the likes of Demba Bamba, Cameron Woki, and Romain Ntamack.
After discovering rugby at 10 years old, he was trained up at Bordeaux, for whom he has played 118 matches since his professional debut in 2018 (when he was 19). He has committed to the club until 2028.
He is not a typical hooker as his mobility and ability to play an evasive game aren't strictly common for his position.
Romain Buros, winger/fullback, 27: He will join the French team again after already touring Australia in 2021 and Japan in 2022. However, unlike many of his Bordeaux teammates, he has never been selected for Les Bleus.
Buros has always either been a victim of competition in his position or of injuries, but this time, his chance could come. He has been playing since he was four years old (his father was head coach of his first club), and he has become an indisputable starter for his club. Something of an anomaly, he is one of the rare Bordeaux three-quarters not to be an international.
