The French XV unveiled its team on Wednesday for the opening of the Tournament, Friday evening in Marseille against Ireland, three and a half months after its elimination in the quarter-finals of the World Cup.
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As expected, the French XV will rely on many captains from recent years to start its new cycle against Ireland, Friday February 2 in Marseille (9 p.m.), opening the Six Nations Tournament (live on France 2 and france.tv). Ten of the fifteen starters from the defeat in the quarter-finals of the World Cup on October 15 against South Africa (28-29) are lined up in the team announced on Wednesday January 31 by the coach, Fabien Galthié.
The most notable absentee is obviously Antoine Dupont. The usual captain skipped this Tournament to prepare for the Olympic Games with the French 7s team and is replaced by Maxime Lucu, for a 100% Bordeaux-Béglaise hinge with Matthieu Jalibert. It is therefore a completely new duo compared to the 2023 Tournament, since Romain Ntamack has still not returned to competition since his cruciate ligament rupture just before the World Cup. Grégory Alldritt takes on the role of captain.
Among the other new features of this first match in 2024, the usual three-quarter center Yoram Moefana is shifted to a wing, in place of Louis Bielle-Biarrey. The winger or full-back of the UBB, revelation of the last World Cup, takes his place on the bench. The same goes for Julien Marchand, back from injury but overtaken in the hierarchy by Peato Mauvaka as hooker. “Peato performed very well during the World Cup, he was able to take over from Julien as starter, today he is in great shape.”deciphered Fabien Galthié. “Julien comes back, he is there to finish the match, which is for me the ultimate responsibility.”
The main change concerns the second row, where Thibaud Flament and the new recruit Emmanuel Meafou had to withdraw. The returning Paul Willemse (31 years old) and Paul Gabrillagues (30 years old, never selected under the mandate of Fabien Galthié) make up the team and will be relayed during the match by executives Cameron Woki and Romain Taofifenua. “OI haven’t thought about trying to balance, the Irish are going to offer a lot of sequences with a lot of repetition, we will have to resist that. Then the finishers will try to win the match.”explained Patrick Arlettaz, coach in charge of the attack, to justify these choices. Finally, on the third row, François Cros compensates for the knee injury of Anthony Jelonch, who will miss the entire Tournament.
The composition of the XV of France
Ramos – Penaud, Fickou, Danty, Moefana – (o) Jalibert, (m) Lucu – Ollivon, Alldritt (cap), Cros – Willemse, Gabrillagues – Atonio, Mauvaka, Baille.
Substitutes: Marchand, Wardi, Aldegheri, R.Taofifenua, Woki, Pa. Boudehent, Le Garrec, Bielle-Biarrey