34 - 19

Fabien Galthie to miss France's Six Nations opener

04 Feb 2022

Antoine Dupont and Fabien Galthie /Getty

Coach Fabien Galthie is set to miss France’s opening Six Nations rugby match against Italy after testing positive for COVID-19.

“This morning, I tested positive COVID-19. I am doing well and I have light symptoms,” wrote Galthie on his Twitter account (@FGalthie) on Friday ahead of Sunday’s match in Paris.

“As a result, I am going to self-isolate and will be working remotely this week. Raphaël Ibañez and the rest of my staff, in whom I have full confidence, will be acting as my go-betweens on the pitch.

ASX Sports Fantasy Rugby | A new generation of fantasy rugby is here with apps for iOS and Android!

Galthié is the fifth member of the French camp to test positive since January 24, including players Pierre Bourgarit and Thibault Flament.

No other squad member tested positive following Friday’s round of testing, the federation said. Under the Six Nations health protocol, players will undergo more testing on Saturday.

The French rugby federation said that Galthié took a rapid antigen test on Thursday with the result confirmed the next day.

The federation said that Galthie, who has only minor symptoms, will be allowed to rejoin the French team from Tuesday if he provides a negative test.

Lock Cameron Woki has been declared fit to partner Paul Willemse in the second row, while in front of them in the scrum will be Marchand, and props Uini Atonio and Cyril Baille.

The back three are made up of number eight Gregory Alldritt, and loose-forwards Cretin and Anthony Jelonch.

Captain and recently crowned World Rugby Player of the Year Antoine Dupont is at scrumhalf to partner flyhalf Romain Ntamack. Jonathan Danty and Gael Fickou make up the midfield pairing.

Damian Penaud and Gabin Villiere are on the wing, with Melvyn Jaminet at fullback.

France have won the last 11 meetings between the sides dating back to 2014, and claimed a 50-10 victory when the teams clashed in Rome in the Six Nations last year.

FRANCE TEAM: 15-Melvyn Jaminet, 14-Damian Penaud, 13-Jonathan Danty, 12-Gael Fickou, 11-Gabin Villiere, 10-Romain Ntamack, 9-Antoine Dupont (capt.), 8-Gregory Alldritt, 7-Dylan Cretin, 6-Anthony Jelonch, 5-Paul Willemse, 4-Cameron Woki, 3-Uini Atonio, 2-Julien Marchand, 1-Cyril Baille. Replacements: 16-Peato Mauvaka, 17-Jean-Baptiste Gros, 18-Demba Bamba, 19-Romain Taofifenua, 20-Francois Cros, 21-Maxime Lucu, 22-Yoram Moefana, 23-Thomas Ramos.

Boks Office | Episode 37 | Six Nations Round 4 Review

Cape Town | Leg 2 | Day 2 | HSBC Challenger Series 2025 | Full Day Replay

Gloucester-Hartpury vs Bristol Bears | PWR 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

Boks Office | Episode 36 | Six Nations Round 3 Review

Why did Scotland's Finn Russell take the crucial kick from the wrong place? | Whistle Watch

England A vs Ireland A | Full Match Replay

Kubota Spears vs Shizuoka BlueRevs | JRLO 2024/2025 | Full Match Replay

Watch now: Lomu - The Lost Tapes

Comments

0 Comments

Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Latest Features

LONG READ

Did innovative England emerge strongest from the Six Nations?

Steve Borthwick's deluge of back-rowers and clever use of the bench points the way forward for teams who cannot deploy a bruising 7:1 split.

LONG READ

Underpants, duvet covers and Louis Bielle-Biarrey

LBB as he's known in France is a superstar-in-waiting and his genius will help those longing for the return of Antoine Dupont bearable

LONG READ

Mick Cleary: 'England are back among the heavyweights.'

Steve Borthwick's men were much maligned at the start of the Six Nations but their renaissance is gathering momentum

Comments on RugbyPass

Philou 34 minutes ago

Did innovative England emerge strongest from the Six Nations?

Just a thought on the 7-1: it obviously works best with multi-skilled forwards on the bench. Kwagga, for example, could slot into various positions in the backs thanks to his sevens background, as SK mentions. And you mention Deon Fourie, but in an ideal world the bench replacement at the WC would have been Malcolm Marx (an even better Swiss Army Knife). Looking at Rassie’s selections last year and for the camps this year, he’s as keen as you are not to end up with a Deon Fourie situation again, hence his investment in multi-dimensional players at hooker such as Jan-Hendrik Wessels (also a prop) and Johan Grobbelaar (vastly improving as a BD threat). And hooker is just one example of that progressive thinking. So, love it or hate it, the 7-1 is also evolving, in SA at least. It will be fascinating to see which evolution trumps which.

37 Go to comments

JPM 46 minutes ago

Six Nations report card: Each team graded from A to F

I agree that France have a B and not A. Mainly because of the England game that they lost due to themselves. But they still beat the record of tries and pretending that you have to play 5 perfect games to have a A (reference to the Scotland game) is unrealistic. Some time you need to play not such a fantastic rugby to win the game. Then SA would have a B or C.

England with a A is totally biased as even the English fans recognise it in their comments.

9 Go to comments

JB 52 minutes ago

Six Nations report card: Each team graded from A to F

All credit to England. It wasn’t their fault that France treated the ball like a bar of soap. My point was that France would probably have won that game by a large margin if they hadn’t made so many unforced errors.

9 Go to comments

JB 54 minutes ago

Six Nations report card: Each team graded from A to F

Did I mention France blaming a referee ?

9 Go to comments

Desmond Davidson 1 hour ago

What to watch in men’s rugby: Challenger kicks off, League One heats up

In Dec, 2021, I invested the sum of 19.78 BTC with a fake blockchain impostor I met online, all the money I had saved up since 2014 got stolen just within a Month, my whole life almost crumbled, to crown it all my FICO score was so bad that I couldn't even afford securing a loan to help my kids, but everything became better after I joined a forum online where I met people testifying about, a hacker who has been helping thousands of people all over the world. I decided to reach out to him via the following contact shared on the platform // jamesmckaywizard at gmail dot com or WhatsApp +31622647750., they responded and requested for all necessary information needed to aid my JOB, to my greatest surprise my bitcoin was recovered and my credit report fixed, FICO score was boosted to 783 across all 3-credit bureau's, all negative items cleared just within 8 days. I can't stop expressing my profound gratitude to this great team of hackers, I strongly recommend them to anyone in need.jamesmckaywizard at gmail dot com or WhatsApp +31657446248..

1 Go to comments

MichaelT4 1 hour ago

Six Nations report card: Each team graded from A to F

Last year England had 22 handling errors v Scotland and lost the game. I don’t remember any talk of England should have won. Should have is reserved for referee decisions that they get wrong, what actually happened on the pitch by the players cannot have a should have, they either did or didn’t do something.

The England Scotland game England were poor, but its also commonly said that the sign of a good team is winning when you play badly.

England could easily be sitting here with only 2 wins, no argument on that, but England did win both games, and deserved to.

9 Go to comments

Desmond Davidson 1 hour ago

Lion among 2 Wales stars ruled out of England clash with injuries

0 Go to comments

BP 1 hour ago

Mick Cleary: 'England are back among the heavyweights.'

Don’t bother with him mate…….always thinks he knows better.

9 Go to comments

Tom 1 hour ago

Six Nations report card: Each team graded from A to F

I don't think you can neglect the fact that England really should have lost both Scotland and France games. 99 times out of 100 France aren't dropping the ball over the line 3 or 4 times, that was a freakish run of good fortune. They played well in the second half against France and deserve a lot of credit for hanging in there but if we're judging their performances - they were very good in one half against France and quite poor for the whole Scotland game. The forwards were very impressive throughout the whole campaign but England need to find their attacking identity. If the Wales match was the blueprint sobeit but we need to see them own that performance and for it not to be a blip like last year's Ireland performance.

9 Go to comments

Tom 1 hour ago

Six Nations report card: Each team graded from A to F

An A is pushing it for England. I was pleasantly surprised by the Wales performance but the rest of the matches we were just OK. We did well to hang in there against France and Scotland but could/should have lost both games. You've given England an A but let's be brutally honest, if Fin Russell gets that last kick, you wouldn't be giving England an A. Our forwards deserved an A for the whole tournament. The backs and the attack in general struggled to find their feet for most of the tournament and our defense was iffy at times. Some fantastic work from a group of forwards who are turning into one of the best packs in the world but overall an identity and attacking shape was really lacking for most of the tournament and as well as England played, there will be tougher tests than Wales to judge them on.

9 Go to comments

The Late News 2 hours ago

How Rassie Erasmus and the Springboks are winning rugby's secret information war

Cheers mate.

71 Go to comments

RedWarriors 2 hours ago

Six Nations report card: Each team graded from A to F

France were under pressure all through that match. England played well enough to bring it down to a tight encounter and their plan for a late try worked. No referees for France to blame this time either.

9 Go to comments

MichaelT4 2 hours ago

Mick Cleary: 'England are back among the heavyweights.'

In fairness to Borthwick he has done a good job of blooding youngsters already himself in matches against the top tier teams. Fin Baxter starting against New Zealand last summer, Cunningham-South too. Fin Smith this year. The squad depth is impressive when you also consider Furbank, Underhill, IFW and George Martin can come back in.

If, and its a big if, Borthwicks plan is to create 30 odd test players then he is going about it quite well. Fingers crossed.

9 Go to comments

ZamaZama 2 hours ago

Easterby hits back at France's conduct in the wake of Dupont injury

Once again the whining schoolboy wants to tell everyone how to behave. What a 💩

17 Go to comments

RedWarriors 2 hours ago

Easterby hits back at France's conduct in the wake of Dupont injury

He publicly demanded that the Irish players should be cited and declared their actions reprehensible. The obvious implication is that the referee has made grave errors and that the ‘culprits’ and ‘butchers’ of Dupont were not reprimanded. Of course he publicly stated that he didn’t blame the referee. Ofcourse his meaning was clear and the evidence is collective rage by the French public against the referee. This is dishonest and cowardice by Galthie. The two Irish players he attacked then received threats to their safety by French ‘supporters’.

We know that France have more suspensions for dangerous tackles than all other six nations combined under Galthie.

We know that he publicly lied about the ‘injustice’ of the Ntamack v Ringrose bans. He knew the difference, he acknowledged it in his evidence for Ntamack and he knew that French players had benefitted more than any others over both cases in previous years.

The last thing rugby needs is trial by media by mini Trumps who are only interested in cheating for their own country and disguising their own short comings.

17 Go to comments

MichaelT4 3 hours ago

Six Nations report card: Each team graded from A to F

I definitely watched the game - England did stun them by winning, no one expected that. Not Englands fault that France dropped the ball - figuratively and literally - and it was England who then outscored them and out scrummed them and battered their big forwards back several times. England arent given enough credit for that win. Game of the tournament. Ireland v France wasnt a game by the second half, it was one-way.

For the Scotland game they were lucky Russell missed his kicks, but Scotland should have had a red card for the head contact from the winger on Chessum. No arms, jumped up and first contact was with the head. Evens out on the luck front.

Not sure England deserve an A that this article gives them, should be reserved for the winner, but they won their games by scoring more points. If another team had the same tournament as England, they would be lauded for their character and grit.

9 Go to comments

JB 3 hours ago

Six Nations report card: Each team graded from A to F

Re England … “they stunned France …”

Really? Were we watching the same game? France left at least 3 tries begging, none of which were due to England’s defense - they should have been out of sight by half time.

For me, it was more France losing the game than England winning it.

France were stunned, yes, but by themselves

9 Go to comments

Jahmirwayle 3 hours ago

Crusaders rookie earns 'other than Dupont' praise from All Blacks star

It started with a gut-wrenching realization. I’d been duped. Months earlier, I’d poured $133,000 into what I thought was a golden opportunity a cryptocurrency investment platform promising astronomical returns. The website was sleek, the testimonials glowed, and the numbers in my account dashboard climbed steadily. I’d watched my Bitcoin grow, or so I thought, until the day I tried to withdraw it. That’s when the excuses began: “Processing delays,” “Additional verification required,” and finally, a demand for a hefty “release fee.” Then, silence. The platform vanished overnight, taking my money with it. I was left staring at a blank screen, my savings gone, and a bitter taste of shame in my mouth.I didn’t know where to turn. The police shrugged cybercrime was a black hole they couldn’t navigate. Friends offered sympathy but no solutions. I spent sleepless nights scouring forums, reading about others who’d lost everything to similar scams. That’s when I stumbled across a thread mentioning a group specializing in crypto recovery. They didn’t promise miracles, but they had a reputation for results. Desperate, I reached out.The first contact was a breath of fresh air. I sent an email explaining my situation dates, transactions, screenshots, everything I could scrape together. Within hours, I got a reply. No fluff, no false hope, just a clear request for more details and a promise to assess my case. I hesitated, wary of another scam, but something about their professionalism nudged me forward. I handed over my evidence: the wallet addresses I’d sent my Bitcoin to, the emails from the fake platform, even the login credentials I’d used before the site disappeared.The process kicked off fast. They explained that scammers often move funds through a web of wallets to obscure their tracks, but Bitcoin’s blockchain leaves a trail if you know how to follow it. That’s where their expertise came in. They had tools and know-how I couldn’t dream of, tracing the flow of my coins across the network. I didn’t understand the technical jargon hash rates, mixing services, cold wallets but I didn’t need to. They kept me in the loop with updates: “We’ve identified the initial transfer,” “The funds split here,” “We’re narrowing down the endpoints.” Hours passed , and I oscillated between hope and dread. Then came the breakthrough. They’d pinpointed where my Bitcoin had landed a cluster of wallets tied to the scammers. Some of it had been cashed out, but a chunk remained intact, sitting in a digital vault the crooks thought was untouchable. I didn’t ask too many questions about that part; I just wanted results. They pressured the right points, leveraging the blockchain evidence to freeze the wallets holding my funds before the scammers could liquidate them. Next morning, I woke up to an email that made my heart skip. “We’ve secured access to a portion of your assets.” Not all of it some had slipped through the cracks but $133,000 worth of Bitcoin, my original investment, was recoverable. They walked me through the final steps: setting up a secure wallet, verifying the transfer, watching the coins land. When I saw the balance tick up on my screen, I sat there, stunned. It was real. My money was back.The ordeal wasn’t painless. I’d lost time, sleep, and a bit of faith in humanity. But the team at Alpha Spy Nest Recovery turned a nightmare into a second chance. I’ll never forget what they did. In a world full of thieves, they were the ones who fought to make things right. Contacts below: email: Alphaspynest@mail.com, WhatsApp: +14159714490‬, Telegram: https://t.me/Alphaspynest

8 Go to comments

TI 3 hours ago

Lions selection: 3 winners and losers from each country

Hugo Keenan played well in games where Ireland didn’t. I think he should be listed as a winner instead of Beirne, or Sheehan, who were always going to go.

2 Go to comments

Chelsey Kate 3 hours ago

Did innovative England emerge strongest from the Six Nations?

Hire Expert Certified Intelligence Cyber Wizard Assets Recovery Company for any job?

I was persuaded to buy cryptocurrency by someone I met online. They have access to a group of analysts who provide reliable predictions for the rise and fall of BTC. I initially attempted with a modest amount just to be sure, and I was successful in withdrawing money twice. This demonstrated a growth in the signals I was receiving. I decided to include corporate funds as well. When I tried to contact the individual at that point, he had banned all of his connections, which is when everything started to go wrong. I tried everything until a friend of mine introduced me to a hacker INTELLIGENCE CYBER WIZARD, a company that helps individuals and businesses recover their stolen BTC assets. They truly helped me to recover everything at an affordable fee and I was exultantly proud and joyful; in high spirits. If you are in the same mess, To learn more about them kindly reach out to them with the details below:

E-mail: intelligencecyberwizard@gmail.com

Mail: intelligencecyberwizard@mai

l.com

37 Go to comments

TRENDING

TRENDING Lions selection: 3 winners and losers from each country Lions selection: 3 winners and losers from each country

Brumbies on high alert: Len Ikitau’s stark warning over ex-boss

Did innovative England emerge strongest from the Six Nations?

Select Edition

Fabien Galthie to miss France's Six Nations opener

ASX Sports Fantasy Rugby | A new generation of fantasy rugby is here with apps for iOS and Android!

ASX Sports Fantasy Rugby | A new generation of fantasy rugby is here with apps for iOS and Android!

Boks Office | Episode 37 | Six Nations Round 4 Review

Cape Town | Leg 2 | Day 2 | HSBC Challenger Series 2025 | Full Day Replay

Gloucester-Hartpury vs Bristol Bears | PWR 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

Boks Office | Episode 36 | Six Nations Round 3 Review

Why did Scotland's Finn Russell take the crucial kick from the wrong place? | Whistle Watch

England A vs Ireland A | Full Match Replay

Kubota Spears vs Shizuoka BlueRevs | JRLO 2024/2025 | Full Match Replay

Watch now: Lomu - The Lost Tapes

Trending on RugbyPass

Six Nations report card: Each team graded from A to F

Lions selection: 3 winners and losers from each country

Rassie Erasmus explains so-called Willie Le Roux Bok selection snub

Mitchell hints England's much-maligned habit is a thing of the past

Gregor Townsend breaks silence on his Scotland future

Fissler Confidential: Paddy Jackson set for Premiership return?

Four England talking points after their Six Nations rout of Wales

What Steve Borthwick told Matt Sherratt following Wales debacle

Comments

Latest Features

Did innovative England emerge strongest from the Six Nations?

Underpants, duvet covers and Louis Bielle-Biarrey

Mick Cleary: 'England are back among the heavyweights.'

Comments on RugbyPass