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Fabien Galthie wields axe with 7 changes to France squad and 7-1 bench

Matthieu Jalibert of France during the Guinness Six Nations 2025 match between England and France at Allianz Stadium on February 08, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Paul Harding/Getty Images)

Fabien Galthie has changed four players in his starting XV to take on Italy in Rome on Sunday to the one that lost to England in round two of the Guinness Six Nations, with further changes on the bench.

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The second-row unit has been completely replaced for the trip to the Stadio Olimpico, with the previously injured Thibaud Flament making his first appearance of the tournament. He will partner Mackael Guillard in the engine room, who started on the bench at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium but will now fill in for Emmanuel Meafou, who has fallen ill. Alexandre Roumat, who held Flament’s No.4 jersey for the first two rounds, has been demoted to the bench.

Fly-half Matthieu Jalibert and winger Damian Penaud are the other two casualties from France’s wasteful performance against England, with the Bordeaux-Begles pair axed entirely.

Thomas Ramos will shift from full-back to fly-half for the match, with Stade Francais’ Leo Barre taking the No.15 jersey.

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After scoring two tries in the opening round victory over Wales, Theo Attissogbe has returned to the right wing in place of Penaud, who moved within one try against England of Serge Blanco’s France record of 38.

The bench has also seen plenty of changes, with replacement tighthead Georges-Henri Colombe missing out in favour of Dorian Aldegheri after some costly errors against Steve Borthwick’s side.

Lock Romain Taofifenua has also taken the place of Hugo Auradou, while Anthony Jelonch has bolstered the forward options on the bench, taking centre Emilien Gailleton’s place to make a 7-1 split on the bench.

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The sole back among the substitutes is scrum-half Maxime Lucu, who has been chosen over Nolann Le Garrec.

France XV
1 Jean-Baptiste Gros
2 Peato Mauvaka
3 Uini Atonio
4 Thibaud Flament
5 Mickael Guillard
6 Francois Cros
7 Paul Boudehent
8 Gregory Alldritt
9 Antoine Dupont
10 Thomas Ramos
11 Louis Bielle-Biarrey
12 Yoram Moefana
13 Pierre-Louis Barassi
14 Theo Attissogbe
15 Leo Barre

Replacements
16 Julien Marchand
17 Cyril Baille
18 Dorian Aldegheri
19 Romain Taofifenua
20 Alexandre Roumat
21 Oscar Jegou
22 Anthony Jelonch
23 Maxime Lucu

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reginaldgarcia 1 hour ago
Crusaders rookie earns 'other than Dupont' praise from All Blacks star

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JW 2 hours ago
Kyren Taumoefolau All Blacks stance splits opinions on eligibility

MP are a NZ side through and through, NZ is even having to pay for it.

Yes they caved to public demand, I bet it accomplished a lot of internal goals. They could have left it to the other groups, but I’m of the belief that they weren’t showing the capability to make it work as being a good reason for NZR to jump in and do it. I think it’s actually funded 50/50 between NZR and WR though.

(when nothing was stopping a pi player playing for any side in Super Rugby)

Neither is that fact true. Only 3 non NZ players are allowed in each squad.


I see you also need to learn what the term poach means - take or acquire in an unfair or clandestine way. - Moana have more slots for non eligible players (and you have seen many return to an NZ franchise) so players are largely making their own choice without any outside coercion ala Julian Savea.

Not one of these Kiwis and Aussies would go live in the Islands to satisfy any criteria, and I’d say most of them have hardly ever set foot in the islands, outside of a holiday.

Another inaccurate statement. Take Mo’unga’s nephew Armstrong-Ravula, if he is not eligible via ancestry in a couple of generations time, he will be eligible because he plays his rugby there (even if he’s only their for rugby and not living there), that is a recent change made by World Rugby to better reflect examples like Fabian Holland and Fakatava.

It’s becoming the jump-ship/zero loyalty joke that international League is.

Look I understand you’re reason to cry and make an example at any opportunity, but you don’t really need to anymore, other recent changes made by WR are basically going to stop the Ireland situation, and time (perhaps no more than a decade) will fix the rest.

26 Go to comments
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