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Six NationsEnglandFrance

French squad forced to make another injury-enforced front row change

(Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images)

France have lost another player in the run-up to Sunday’s Guinness Six Nations opener at home to England. 

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Earlier this week, Racing 92’s Teddy Baubigny replaced club colleague Camille Chat after the experienced hooker suffered a calf injury. 

Now, Castres prop Wilfrid Hounkpatin has left the squad with a rib injury and will be replaced by La Rochelle’s Uini Atonio who has not played for France since the opening round defeat to Wales in February 2019.

It’s a disappointing end to what has initially been a good week for Hounkpatin, the uncapped 28-year-old, as he extended his club contract on Wednesday through to 2023.

Hounkpatin had been part of the 42-strong squad that is preparing for the Six Nations under new coach Fabien Galthie. 

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
BleedRed&Black 42 minutes ago
Enjoy the last real Rugby Championship as the end looms

No loss. A single round TRC will have more intensity, will take place every year, and will be supplemented by tours between the four nations. I grew in an era when NZ and Australia took turns touring every two years. They were genuinely great series that stick long in the memory, long after just another anonymous TRC has disappeared down the memory hole.

Wouldn't be surprised in an AB tour of OZ in 2028 is announced fairly soon. Oz alone made $120m from the Lions tour. No reason why at least half that much can't be made for NZ and Oz as a joint venture in 2028.



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19 Go to comments
T
TI 51 minutes ago
The 'politics' that forced Sam Burgess to end dream of captaining England

This guy again…

Blaming everything and anything but himself for his failures.



...

6 Go to comments
C
CC 59 minutes ago
New Zealand Rugby CEO responds to 2029 Lions Tour debate

I think they'd love the chance to beat the Brits, and they could do it too.

32 Go to comments
C
CC 1 hour ago
New Zealand Rugby CEO responds to 2029 Lions Tour debate

Their most memorable tour of Wales was about the 11th century, they seem to have had a great time

32 Go to comments
C
CC 1 hour ago
Former Springbok coach Gary Gold lands new international role

Poor Japan. As a Sharks fan I was glad to see him go

1 Go to comments
C
Cantab 1 hour ago
Enjoy the last real Rugby Championship as the end looms

It would be great to have another couple of teams in the competition but who? Pacifica ? NZ Maori? Japan? USA ? Canada? Georgia ? Any additional sides would need to be competitive.

19 Go to comments
J
JW 1 hour ago
All Blacks Sevens star Etene Nanai-Seturo poised for European move

Playing the Top 14 could be a great step for Etene. For unknown reasons he hasn’t got the call up to the ABs and he is being hindered by too much of the domestics season revolving around his struggling NPC team, if he could build year on year instead of having to reset each year, he could develop exceptional accuracy in all his high skill areas, tackle evasion, positional play, kicking, etc that will basically demand an All Black selection.

Top 14 might be the best place to do that and he could be a useful Richie Mo’unga type signing for the next incoming Lions tour, if he didn’t immediately choose to represent his lineage if going offshore, that is.



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1 Go to comments
M
MR 2 hours ago
World Cup memories- Fiona Coghlan: 'The Black Ferns were gracious in defeat'

From memory it was the BFs only loss (as they didn't get out of their pool) at that Cup which was a bit odd and brought changes at successive tournaments when more teams were involved

3 Go to comments
J
JW 2 hours ago
Enjoy the last real Rugby Championship as the end looms

Perhaps make the RC crown different to the individual crowns but following a golf handicap type system? Make RC crown ‘best performing biannual team’ (most improved), using a system more like crickets World Test Championship, where for Rugby Championship you simple total the ‘Test Ranking points Gained’ over a period, so that means even the likes of Fiji can win it by squiring a few wins but which give them much bigger points gains compared to say SA who would get very little points gains from all the opponents below them (if ranked 1st in world etc)?

19 Go to comments
S
SF 2 hours ago
'There's no future': Former All Blacks pick their halfback for first Argentina Test

And you still think the springboks are my countrymen? The pot calling the kettle black? Damn colonial Dutchmen!

43 Go to comments
J
JW 2 hours ago
Enjoy the last real Rugby Championship as the end looms

But it needs to be 6 teams really, so that’s a 6 year period. I like the host idea, it’s kinda cool, but even with next years tours, that’s no primetime rugby tests for a month or more. I think theres got to be a better way.

19 Go to comments
J
JW 2 hours ago
Enjoy the last real Rugby Championship as the end looms

There is no difference between RC rivalries and individual, they are one in the same.

Good point around WC years though, you’ve outlined the problem with RC all along, it’s format.



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19 Go to comments
J
JW 2 hours ago
Enjoy the last real Rugby Championship as the end looms

You’re making no sense using the word ‘doubt’ Ben. Grammatically it’s not describing anything correctly, you need a different word in it’s place, or another word in place of ‘future’ if doubt is the emotion you’re trying to express. You don’t doubt the future of SR, you doubt that something specific is going to happen in the future, like a restructure or it’s ending, etc. So I’m not sure if your trying to doubt something, or actually having a different emotion about it’s future.

Personally, I’m excited by the Rugby Championship from next year. You make a great point about about how the individual battles against SA and for the Bledisloe have more meaning than ‘new’ titles like the RC or Freedom Cup though, but it’s really the contested model of those titles that is exciting, whether they can be contested in a cool way, and eventually, once these are as old and history infused as the Bledisloe or 6N is now, they will all be melded into one and the mentioned of RC will have the same impact.



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19 Go to comments
F
Flankly 2 hours ago
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Yes - I expect White and O’Connor as 9 and 10. Their best chance is smart game management and in-game adjustments, vs athleticism in the half-backs. Experience will be valuable.

I don’t think that White will get away with much, despite Faf not being there to keep him in check …



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15 Go to comments
d
dw 2 hours ago
'There is little chance of any upset of the established order in 2025 Rugby Championship'

Thanks Nick. Not just Mortlock agreeing with you about JAS but I hope his comments influence Joe to move him. Am not particularly confident against SA but let’s see. With your points around the wallabies defence troubles, and with parling leaving is there any word on Wallabies getting a defence coach? It’s must needed.

Would love to see Lonergan get a run in south Africa



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33 Go to comments
C
Can I have a word your Honour? 2 hours ago
The 'politics' that forced Sam Burgess to end dream of captaining England

Sam Burgess just didn’t adapt to the intricacies of Rugby regardless of whatever position he was tried in. He came to Rugby as the promised next big thing to make an immediate positive impact but was instead a total flop. He took the money, didn’t deliver, he was found out, went to the NRL in Australia. Simples

6 Go to comments
D
DP 3 hours ago
'There is little chance of any upset of the established order in 2025 Rugby Championship'

Thank you oh rugby guru for your fascinating rugby insight. I can see how you gained your green badge.

33 Go to comments
P
PM 3 hours ago
England Rugby confirm 25-man enhanced elite player contract group for 2025/26

Eddie was an absolute rockstar from 2016 to 2019 but he’s an absolute alpha-male dictator and covid brought the worst out in him, which is where he also fell out with the media and once results went against him, he was toast. Then angry Eddie emerged from 2021 and it all got very difficult and unpleasant and destroyed the legacy he built.

I am certain that NZ have improved since last summer but The Rugby Championships will show if they are a match for SA, who look very strong.



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31 Go to comments
S
SadersMan 3 hours ago
World Cup memories- Fiona Coghlan: 'The Black Ferns were gracious in defeat'

I remember the way NZ media & fans were talking in the lead up, the game was a done deal. After all, we’d just won four RWCs in a row. Nek minit. 🤣

3 Go to comments
K
KD 3 hours ago
Top 50 Women's Rugby Players of 2025: Who made the cut? | RugbyPass

Not one South African. And just having beaten New Zealand women,!

38 Go to comments