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Six NationsEnglandFranceFabien Galthie

France name team to face England

(Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

France have named Romain Ntamack at fly-half for Sunday’s Guinness Six Nations opener against England in Paris.

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Ntamack joins Antonie Dupont at half-back after edging Matthieu Jalibert for the role of the conductor in chief. Open side Charles Ollivon captains the first team named by new head coach Fabien Galthie.

France’s dangerman is outside centre Virimi Vakatawa, who has been in devastating form for Racing 92 this season.

The Montpellier pair full-back Anthony Bouthier and prop Mohamed Haouas will make their Test debuts at the Stade de France. 

Eight players from the World Cup quarter-final defeat to Wales have made Galthie’s XV. They are second row Bernard Le Roux, flanker and now captain Ollivon, No8 Gregory Alldritt, half-backs Antoine Dupont and Ntamack, centres Gael Fickou and Vakatawa, and winger Damian Penaud.

FRANCE (vs England, Sunday)

15. Bouthier; 14. Thomas, 13. Vakatawa, 12. Fickou, 11. Penaud; 10. Ntamack, 9. Dupont; 1. Baille, 2. Marchand, 3. Haouas, 4. Le Roux, 5. Willemse, 6. Cros, 7. Ollivon (capt), 8. Alldritt. Reps: 16. Mauvaka, 17. Poirot, 18. Bamba, 19. Palu, 20. Woki, 21. Serin, 22. Jalibert, 23. Rattez.

WATCH: The Rugby Pod sets the scene ahead of the 2020 Guinness Six Nations and reflects on yet more Saracens fallout  

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Comments on RugbyPass

B
Barry 8 minutes ago
Stuart Hogg sentenced and fined in domestic violence case

Why is OJ a bad man?

8 Go to comments
B
Barry 30 minutes ago
Stuart Hogg sentenced and fined in domestic violence case

What a deterrent!


Hopefully she utterly rinses him in the divorce.

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B
Barry 34 minutes ago
Could Jacques Nienaber be linked with Ireland job after exerting Bok influence on Leinster?

I don't think Ireland are thinking that far ahead at the moment. I'd say plenty would be looking at Easterby's development this 6Nations. More recently the IRFU tend to recruit from within. He's in his 11th season in the Irish coaching set up. Humphreys as the new IRFU director of performance knows him well enough from their playing days.


A good 6Nations would put him in the mix.

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Thomas K 53 minutes ago
Sharks vs Toulouse | Live & Latest Rugby Union Scores & Results | RugbyPass

Ah dw. When will these teams be named ffs

4 Go to comments
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Ed the Duck 1 hour ago
Could Jacques Nienaber be linked with Ireland job after exerting Bok influence on Leinster?

Leinster actually do need it to go well for them this weekend. The alternative wouldn’t be a good look for them in light of a fully loaded LR squeaking past Toulouse’s 2nd string last week and it would significantly undermine progress with their new defensive game plan under JN. It would also put them in the mixer with away CC ko ties given that they could feasibly lose again the following week to Bath.

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R
RedWarrior 1 hour ago
Ex-England flyhalf says All Blacks scared of playing Springboks at Eden Park

I see mainly NZ fans riled here.....

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RedWarrior 1 hour ago
Ex-England flyhalf says All Blacks scared of playing Springboks at Eden Park

And so starts the inevitable NZ v SA "supporters" wang measuring contest.......

It's a comment on a podcast. A bit of craic. Get over yourselves!


Note: Rugby is a minority International Sport. Its not soccer. NZ are not the equivalent of Brazil and SA are not the equivalent of Germany. Rugby is the 3rd or 4th most played team sport in Ireland and Ireland were no 1 for a considerable period in the last few years.


Most of us will agree though that its more enjoyable, better game than soccer. Congrats to the Boks and NZ on outstanding International records in Rugby Union. But be realistic please.

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rs 1 hour ago
Could Jacques Nienaber be linked with Ireland job after exerting Bok influence on Leinster?

As a Springbok supporter I'm always pleased when the Irish/Scottish/Welsh teams do well against the French. Trust it will go well for Leinster over the weekend.

Pity Felix Jones no longer with Bok squad. Played a key role in the coaching setup.

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RedWarrior 1 hour ago
The top five Test matches in 2025

I'd put the France-South Africa match in before the Ireland-NZ.

But a lot depends on the 6 nations. If France win then the SA clash takes on enormous interest as the North versus South decider plus a chance for France to get more catharsis for the RWC QF elimination.

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Ed the Duck 1 hour ago
Could Jacques Nienaber be linked with Ireland job after exerting Bok influence on Leinster?

If the overall margin was wafer thin with Toulouse, there wouldn’t have been a need for a radical change of game plan. Serial losses in finals are just that, serial losses.


Your point on jones is a good one, if it happens then it should help to align things for Ireland no doubt.


As for the URC, Leinster may well prevail and it’s all to play for as I said but for me, they’ve got it all to prove playing this way when it really matters. Home or not, they’ve lost to plenty of teams in Dublin at the business end of proceedings in recent years. And that means they’re not favourites.

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RedWarrior 1 hour ago
Mack Hansen banned for ref blast but free to play in Six Nations

Could you elaborate on that please. Do you believe that there should be no suspensions of sanctions at all, or none in this case? The sentence tends to be a maximum and can be brought down based on how the player and the team responds to it. Three weeks and the extra requirements by Hansen feels about right.

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RedWarrior 1 hour ago
Mack Hansen banned for ref blast but free to play in Six Nations

If you suspect corruption of the Welsh and South African officials comprising the independent disciplinary panel then perhaps say so and why. Its a pretty serious implication. First perhaps, aknowledge that apologies and their nature are taken into account in all such cases, what Hansen said and when. A learning process for Hansen on why officials can't be undermined and undertsanding that they are genuine in their officating would have a far more influential effect on Hansen than an extra 3 weeks. His missing January will hurt him and Connaught badlyA full 6 week ban would have been extermely harsh.

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E
Ed the Duck 1 hour ago
Could Jacques Nienaber be linked with Ireland job after exerting Bok influence on Leinster?

He’s already dragged his family to France, then to the other side of the world and back again to France in the name of his career. His ambitions override everything else and he sees the best opportunities as being with England or France. Ireland, if it happens, will come about because he hasn’t been offered the other two. Nothing wrong in any of that and good luck to him.

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B
Bull Shark 2 hours ago
Could Jacques Nienaber be linked with Ireland job after exerting Bok influence on Leinster?

Yeah. That. Now he’s in the conversation re: Ireland. Fickle human beings. And silly considering that he’s a defence expert.

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RedWarrior 2 hours ago
Could Jacques Nienaber be linked with Ireland job after exerting Bok influence on Leinster?

Leinster aren't pretending to be great. Their performances have been low key. They didnt struggle to beat Clermont. The result was never in doubt. Clermonts only have chance got thema very dubious try. Leinsters lineout malfunctioned which must be fixed if they want to win trophies. La Rochelle are hit and miss and played poorly against a young Toulouse but stacked with talent. Toulouse play the same way all the way up so their seond teams can always step directly into that style. But I believe La Rochelle won that match?

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Bull Shark 2 hours ago
Sharks vs Toulouse | Live & Latest Rugby Union Scores & Results | RugbyPass

I’m not sure what you mean?

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P
PR 2 hours ago
Hansen saga has no winners but rugby needs characters and referees – Andy Goode

"I’m sure he didn’t intend to accuse Busby of anything as being up against 16 men." Of course he did. That's what "being up against 16 men" means. He was insinuating that Busby was either incompetent or biased.

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R
RedWarrior 2 hours ago
Could Jacques Nienaber be linked with Ireland job after exerting Bok influence on Leinster?

The disjointed Ireland AI matches are as a result of the imbalance between Leinsters style and Ireland's style in my opinion. Ireland probably should get Felix Jones in to work defence. With Nienaber in Leinster and Jones in Ireland, the International team would become incredibly difficult for anyone to beat. That situation is Ireland's problem now not Leinsters.

A fully loaded Toulouse team last year were saved by the width of a post from Frawleys drop and a decision not to take a scrum (Leinster were smashing Toulouse) probbaly gaining a penalty or minumim a drop attempt.

Leinster are concedeing 8 points less than last year and that is including 2 outlier matches (Edinburgh and Ulster) where high points were conceded in controlled wins.

Toulouse will have to be better than last year to beat Leinster.

I am amazed at your assessment that they are not favourites for the URC. They have a lot of clear ground leading the league. They will finish in first place and have home matches all the way. They lost last year away in Pretoria to an impressive Bulls performance. If a URC team wants to win the URC they will have to beat Leinster in the Aviva. Maybe, but Leinster are favourites surely?

Lastly you will see how the depth of Leinster is maturing. Last year the second team shipped points in SA. Its Bulls and Sharks for them this year. Lets see what happens there.

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D
DC 2 hours ago
The top five Test matches in 2025

Shouldn't it be Ireland v France if its played at the Aviva, rather than France v Ireland.


This isn't American Football where the away side comes first.

6 Go to comments
R
RedWarrior 2 hours ago
Could Jacques Nienaber be linked with Ireland job after exerting Bok influence on Leinster?

He wasn't roundly criticized at all, thats an exaggeration on your part. Some Leinster supporters and commentators lamented the bluntless of the once lethal attack.

20 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ Could Jacques Nienaber be linked with Ireland job after exerting Bok influence on Leinster? Could Jacques Nienaber be linked with Ireland job after exerting Bok influence on Leinster?
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