Six Nations: Les Bleus set to test opponents in tournament

Coach: Fabien Galthié

Captain: Grégory Alldritt

One to watch: Damian Penaud. The brilliant 27-year-old has scored 30 tries in his last 32 tests and in his eight games for Bordeaux Bègles since the World Cup has scored 11 tries in eight games. At 9-2 favourite, he looks good value to be the tournament’s top try scorer.

Forecast: With three matches at home, including their pivotal opening night against Ireland as well as England on final night, Les Bleus have their more favourable biennial itinerary. Five of their six Championships since 2000 have been in even years and they are rightly favourites to repeat their title of two seasons ago.

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Imagine, if you can, that Ireland had been successful with their bid to host the 2023 World Cup, that they had invested in and developed their best international side in years and had generated real belief that they were going to win the World Cup for the first time, only to then lose a quarter-final by one point. Well, that was France’s lot.

So however painful the post-World Cup hangover has been in Ireland, in France it has been altogether more acute. This was compounded by two of their three bulk suppliers, Toulouse and La Rochelle, also having progressed to the French championship final and confirmation that their talisman and captain, Antoine Dupont, would miss the Six Nations to play for the French 7s in the Olympics.

Dupont is the second most Googled sportsperson in France after Kylian Mbappé and there has been no resentment towards the scrumhalf for his decision, rather an acceptance that this is a glorious opportunity for him to become one of the stars of the Olympics.

But with Romain Ntamack still sidelined, their absence has also been compounded by the loss of Anthony Jelonch due to a second ACL injury, as well as the newly qualified, New Zealand-born, Australian-reared Toulouse colossus Emmanuel Meafou, who will miss the first two matches at least due to injury.

Against that, while there is only one Antoine Dupont, no country has a better production line of scrumhalves than France. Maxime Lucu has been in fine form for Bordeaux Bègles, where he has a good understanding with Matthieu Jalibert, as well as two other likely starters for Les Bleus in wingers Louis Bielle-Biarrey and Damian Penaud. The brilliant, uncapped Racing scrumhalf Nolann Le Garrec will back up Lucu.

All told, despite their injury toll, Fabien Galthié has retained 22 of his relatively young World Cup squad, with prop Uini Atonio having reversed his decision to retire, while Grégory Alldritt — refreshed by a pre-arranged, post-World Cup break until December 30th — assumes the captaincy from Dupont.

But it’s not just Alldritt who looks refreshed. The Champions Cup has reinvigorated Toulouse and La Rochelle, who along with Racing and Bordeaux Bègles, supply 24 of France’s Six Nations squad. Certainly, Andy Farrell is under no illusions about the size of the task facing Ireland in the opening game next Friday in the Stade Vélodrome.

“If you look at French rugby at this moment, it’s booming, isn’t it? Not just the players on the pitch but the crowd and everything that happened at the World Cup, it’s booming. You talk about Dupont [missing the tournament] but look at the players they have. I know that anyone can see he’s a world-class player but look at what they have in those Top 14 clubs you’re talking about and there’s talent everywhere.”

Furthermore, this is France’s favoured biennial itinerary, with three home games, and the likelihood is that moving those matches from the Stade de France while it is being renovated for the Olympics to Marseille, Lille and Lyon will be a refreshing cure for their quarter-final defeat in Paris.

“Of course, we will miss Paris, because the Stade de France lives up to its name,” said Alldritt. “It’s majestic and we created memorable memories there. Yes, we will miss it, that’s for sure.

“But, on the other hand, we are also very happy to play in the provinces, to find our public who supported us so much during the World Cup. We are going to get closer to all these supporters during these few weeks and we know that we will have a wonderful welcome. They will be fully behind us for this competition.”

Schedule

Friday, February 2nd

France v Ireland, (9pm local time/8pm Irish) Orange Velodrome, Marseille

Saturday, February 10th

Scotland v France (2.15pm), Murrayfield, Edinburgh

Sunday, February 25th

France v Italy (4pm French time/3pm Irish), Decathlon Arena, Lille

Sunday, March 10th

Wales v France (3pm), Principality Stadium, Cardiff

Saturday, March 16th

France v England (9pm French time/8pm Irish), Groupama Stadium, Lyon