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Six NationsFranceFabien Galthie

19 uncapped played in France's Six Nations squad... and Galthie also reveals a new captain

Charles Ollivon (left) has been chosen as the new France captain (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)

Toulon flanker Charles Ollivon will captain France in this season’s Guinness Six Nations Championship. The 26-year-old’s first match in charge is against England at Stade de France on February 2.

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Ollivon, whose appointment was announced by the French Rugby Federation, takes over from Guilhem Guirado, who has retired from Test rugby. It is the first key playing appointment of new Les Blues’ head coach Fabien Galthie’s reign.

“I will take advantage of every second because it is a great honour,” Ollivon told the FFR website. “Fabien called me when I was at home. It was a special moment. I look forward to starting this new adventure.

“This is close to my heart. I come from a territory where identity is strong. So no doubt that when it comes to the France jersey and what it represents, that speaks to me. It is a thing apart because it is the highest level we can reach… responsibilities are entrusted to me and I want to be up to the task. I will give everything for this team.”

Galthie, meanwhile, has named a 42-man squad ahead of the tournament, including 19 uncapped players. The list of international rookies includes Lyon lock Killian Geraci, Clermont Auvergne back row forward Alexandre Fischer, plus backs Maxime Lucu, Louis Carbonel and Arthur Vincent.

And among a number of established names to miss out are wing Yoann Huget, fly-half Camille Lopez, scrum-half Maxime Machenaud, prop Ribah Slimani and flanker Wenceslas Lauret.

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Comments on RugbyPass

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RedWarriors 6 minutes ago
Ex-Ireland prop: 'We don't have enough competent fatties to compete'

Incorrect: No props are allowed to be bought in to Irish provinces (Slimani was last one) due to necessity of developing our own.

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RedWarriors 8 minutes ago
Ex-Ireland prop: 'We don't have enough competent fatties to compete'

Can you provide substantiation for this “Refusal” and the context around it?


I understand South Africa are also World Champions at abusing performance assisting drugs so thsi is concerning praise from you.

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RedWarriors 12 minutes ago
Easterby hits back at France's conduct in the wake of Dupont injury

Some French fans showed their mettle when threatening officials after the world cup exit. Its not just French, Kiwis threatened Barnes and family after Foster lambasted officials. South Africa have form too. Galthie knows exactly what he was doing. Once the Citing commissioners dismissed him, the honorable thing to do was a public apology to the players he accused. He had been winding French fans up with his utterly disingenuous attack on the sanctions system re Ringrose and Ntamack.


The online rugby world is a cesspit of ‘supporters’ who use rugby as an extension of their personal ego, and are more or less therefore nut cases. People’s lives have been threatened on this platform for example. It won’t be long til you see a whacko attack a player or referee on a street in real life.


Easterby is 100% right in calling out the shenanigans from this French mini Trump.

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RedWarriors 1 hour ago
How Dupont-less France tossed a grenade into Ireland's Grand Slam celebrations

But you said they didn’t pose a threat. They did, Osborne was just in slightly wrong position to gather. If he does its try time. Like in Twickenham, France posed a threat: they just couldn’t hold the ball.

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RedWarriors 1 hour ago
How Dupont-less France tossed a grenade into Ireland's Grand Slam celebrations

“This is more or less the same French team Ireland thrashed in Marseilles last year. If you are a world ranked top three side as Ireland are, you do not ship 40+ points to anyone at home. Period”


You do if you get physically drained.

Ireland were chasing the match from the kick off it felt. We worked hard to dominate but ruck speed was slow and timing was off. That said we did have a few chances and could even have gone a couple of scores ahead. But that in itself is debateable.

Holding France for the McCarthy sin bin took a lot out of the team.

The bomb squad of fast strong dynamic players just blew us away.

The Penaud try was a 14 point swing. That did skew the French total.

And I don’t want to say it about such a magical try. But LBB loses it on his second. Seperation and ball bounces. We get an extra call or two and its a bit closer. But we didn’t score enough and the price was paid in fatigue.

I wouldn’t rule it out of the question that Ireland get revenge next year, but I was not 100% suprized by whats transpired on Saturday. Its been coming.

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fl 1 hour ago
England explain changes for Wales, including Tommy Freeman switch

He’s not a great bench player, but he wasn’t “a disaster” in the autumn.


England have always played well when he starts at 10. The purpose of a fly-half is to manage the game and make those around him look good, not to goose-step and go it alone!

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Bull Shark 1 hour ago
How Rassie Erasmus and the Springboks are winning rugby's secret information war

interesting that NZ is also very closed off to outside help. Nobody in their setup has experience outside of NZ, I believe?

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RW 2 hours ago
Ex-Ireland prop: 'We don't have enough competent fatties to compete'

At least the thought to grow their own full blooded props who can take on the challenge the Bomb Squad pose for instance would be a step in the right direction. Instead of having peeps complaining about Rassie and now Fabién of unfairly using 7-1 bench splits, they could try their hands at growing some of their own. It might take a few years but boy it would make a huge difference. Imagine if there was an O’ Bombe Squaddie, Le Bombe Possé, Die Bomb Span, etc each fan that had that could really get even more involved in the game. Set-pieces actually would increase the pace of the game because players could have more chances to breathe and rest for a bit.

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ST 2 hours ago
England explain changes for Wales, including Tommy Freeman switch

3 open sides + 1 on the bench 2 outside halves + 1 on the bench untested centre and back three partnerships. Looks like Borthwick’s drawn his selection out of a hat.

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GrahamVF 2 hours ago
Northern sides would toil in Super Rugby? The numbers say different

Yup in the middle of the 24/25 season - the third of the URC.

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GrahamVF 2 hours ago
Northern sides would toil in Super Rugby? The numbers say different

No problem Nick. There are quite a few ideas on this site that need to be pushed back.

Yes it would indeed be interesting. When are we going to get champion vs champion on a neutral ground?

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Bull Shark 2 hours ago
How Rassie Erasmus and the Springboks are winning rugby's secret information war

Yes, agreed historically that is the case. But the current profile of international coaches is players who played international themselves.


9/10


Which must be the first time in history? When Joe leaves Aus it may well become 10/10.


Is my point.

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Bull Shark 2 hours ago
How Rassie Erasmus and the Springboks are winning rugby's secret information war

Yes. I agree with that part.

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B
Bull Shark 2 hours ago
How Rassie Erasmus and the Springboks are winning rugby's secret information war

Per the below Nick, Rassie was quite established in the Bok set up. But there was (inevitable) competition for spots in the back three.


He was indeed an excellent loose forward.


Joe Schmidt is the only non player coach in the top 10. If I recall correctly.

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Philou 3 hours ago
How Rassie Erasmus and the Springboks are winning rugby's secret information war

Having watched the Netflix series on the Six Nations, I did wonder a bit about Borthwick’s management style and the England players’ attitude - how would people who came from the Boks’ camp (with its emphasis on humility and service to the country) deal with that? Someone like Smith obsessed with sponsorship deals and his latest G-wagon🤣 Worlds apart - it can’t have been easy.

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GrahamVF 3 hours ago
How Rassie Erasmus and the Springboks are winning rugby's secret information war

During the seventies, I was a journalist at the Cape Times and and because of my connection with WP athletics and rugby I personally knew many of the players and administrators. None of them were anywhere near as accessible as Rassie - not just to journalists but to the rugby fans in SA. I live in Bloubergstrand and the most popular sports bar in the hood is called Doodles. Every now and then, I’d say at least once a month, Rassie pops in and chats to local fans. The last person that I can remember of that stature, who was that accessible to supporters, was Jan Pickard who used to talk to people queueing outside Newlands and would desert the formal after match functions after about an hour or so and pop into the Springbok pub near Newlands. To say that Rassie is sociable is a monstrous understatement. I wonder if this has anything to do with the coaching environment he has created.

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CM 3 hours ago
England explain changes for Wales, including Tommy Freeman switch

George Ford was a disaster during the Autumn internationals. His defence is non existant, he is slow and other than booting the ball up in the air for others to chase I cannot see how he merits a place.

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SC 3 hours ago
Stat chat: Clear favourite emerges as Sam Cane's All Blacks successor

I wish Finau would lift his game and play to his potential in 2025, we will see. Similarly, Suafua has enormous potential but nothing he has done at this point deserves a matchday jersey.


Shannon Frizell is returning from Japan in June and he would be my choice until one or more of Finau, Suafua, Grace, Parker, or Flanders reach All Black standard at blindside.


As for Scott Barrett, he was world class in 2022 and 2023, played solid but not quite the same standard last season due to niggling injuries and will likely return to his 2023 standard if he remains healthy. Locks have a long shelf life in test rugby.


So maybe: 4) Barrett, 5) Vaa’i 6) Frizell, 7) Savea, 8) Sititi, 19) Holland 20) Lakai

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mJ 3 hours ago
Why the Wallabies’ overseas selection chatter has been deathly silent

If the players are experienced, playing in a top team in a top league then maybe but honestly there’s not many who are better than the average player in the league’s they are in. Gleeson is a mile off Wilson and Valentini in quantity and quality of work and skills. Maybe he’ll come back a better player but maybe he’ll get busted playing the number of games against big bodies. Super Rugby is much improved this year and starting to find itself and it’s identity again.

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Samantha Leon 4 hours ago
How Rassie Erasmus and the Springboks are winning rugby's secret information war

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