France name 7 uncapped players in a 42-man squad featuring Dupont
France have named a squad of 42 for the upcoming Guinness Six Nations championship that includes scrum-half Antoine Dupont, seven uncapped players and a recall for out-of-favour winger Teddy Thomas and the fit-again Virimi Vakatawa. Recently voted World Rugby player of the year for 2021 after enjoying a double-winning season for Toulouse and a starring role for his country, Dupont has recently been absent with a knee injury.
However, the decision by Fabien Galthie to include him in his latest Test squad suggests Dupont will be ready for action when France play host to Italy in Paris on February 6. Dupont was a thorn in the All Blacks side when the French rouned off their Autumn Nations Series with a 100 per cent success rate following victories earlier that month over Argentina and Georgia.
He has played twice for his club since then but hasn’t featured since a mesmerising December 11 performance in the Toulouse win over Cardiff in the opening round of the Heineken Champions Cup. Dupont is expected back in action in this weekend’s round four return game versus the Welsh region.
The seven uncapped players featuring in a squad of 23 forwards and 19 backs are prop Daniel Bibi Biziwu, locks Florian Verhaeghe and Florent Vanverberghe, flanker Yoan Tanga, fly-half Leo Berdeu and three-quarters Jules Favre and Tani Vili.
Charles Ollivon, the flanker who skippered France in the previous two Six Nations championships, has missed out as he continues to recover from a serious knee injury and there is every likelihood that Dupont will now continue as captain, the role he filled in the autumn when Ollivon was marked absent.
Explained: Why no Sam Underhill on this occasion and what has suddenly happened to Manu Tuilagi…#England #SixNations
https://t.co/TlwbRzZb5I— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 18, 2022
Bordeaux fly-half Matthieu Jalibert has not been included but will be pushing hard to return from a thigh injury in time to prove his fitness and force a way back into the reckoning. Racing flyers Virimi Vakatawa and Teddy Thomas have squeezed back into the picture, however. Lock Bernard Le Roux who could pass 50 caps in this year’s competition, is one of just four players over the age of 30.
FRANCE 2022 GUINNESS SIX NATIONS SQUAD
FORWARDS (23): Gregory Alldritt, Uini Atonio, Cyril Baille, Demba Bamba, Gaetan Barlot, Daniel Bibi Biziwu, Dylan Cretin, Francois Cros, Ibrahim Diallo, Thibaud Flament, Jean-Baptiste Gros, Mohamed Haouas, Anthony Jelonch, Bernard Le Roux, Sekou Macalou, Julien Marchand, Peato Mauvaka, Yoan Tanga, Romain Taofifenua, Florent Vanverberghe, Florian Verhaeghe, Paul Willemse, Cameron Woki;
BACKS (19): Leo Berdeu, Baptiste Couilloud, Jonathan Danty, Brice Dulin, Antoine Dupont, Jules Favre, Gael Fickou, Antoine Hastoy, Melvyn Jaminet, Matthis Lebel, Maxime Lucu, Yoram Moefana, Romain Ntamack, Damian Penaud, Thomas Ramos, Teddy Thomas, Virimi Vakatawa, Tani Vili, Gabin Villiere.
Comments on RugbyPass
Interesting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
2 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
2 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
2 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
37 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
2 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
1 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
5 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
33 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
4 Go to comments