Coach Fabien Galthié revealed this Tuesday morning in Marcoussis the team which will face the Irish on Thursday at the Stade de France. With a Dupont – Jalibert hinge.
It’s a team composition that says a lot about Fabien Galthié’s change of foot a year and a half before the 2027 World Cup in Australia. Time for speed and offense. The coach revealed this Tuesday morning in Marcoussis (Essonne) the composition of the French XV and the group of 23 players who will face Ireland this Thursday evening (9:10 p.m.) at the Stade de France at the opening of the Six Nations Tournament.
So no surprises at the backs. Alongside Antoine Dupont, who will make his return eleven months after his last match with the Blues during a trip to Ireland and after an operation on the cruciate ligament of his right knee, Matthieu Jalibert, in very good shape with Bordeaux-Bègles, takes advantage of the withdrawal of Toulouse’s Romain Ntamack to be started at the opening.
His mission will be to launch a private three-quarter line of Gaël Fickou and Damian Penaud, judged less bleeding and left at home upon the announcement of the list of 42 two weeks ago, composed of Yoram Moefana and Nicolas Depoortere in the center, Louis Bielle-Biarrey and Théo Attisogbe on the wings and Thomas Ramos at the back.
“What was important in these first eight-nine days spent together was to start the Tournament well, to give ourselves confidence without thinking about the Grand Slam,” the Stade Toulouse scorer underlined on Monday.
In terms of the pack, the right pillar of La Rochelle Uini Atonio, forced to end his career last week after a heart attack just before joining Marcoussis, leaves his place to Toulouse’s Dorian Aldegheri. Jean-Baptiste Gros on the left pillar and Julien Marchand at the back complete the first row.
The France team against Ireland: Ramos – Attissogbe, Depoortere, Moefana, Bielle-Biarrey – (o) Jalibert, (m) Dupont (cap.) – Jegou, Jelonch, Cros – Guillard, Ollivon – Aldegheri, Marchand, Gros. Remplaçants: Mauvaka, Neti, Montagne, Auradou, Meafou, Nouchi, Serin, Gourgues.
In the second row, Toulonnais Charles Ollivon will be aligned with Mickaël Guillard, who pushed Emmanuel Meafou to the bench. In the third row, François Cros and Oscar Jegou were retained around Anthony Jelonch, in the center.
