France suffer Damian Penaud blow on eve of Six Nations

Record-breaking wing Damian Penaud could miss the start of the Guinness Men’s Six Nations after suffering a muscular injury in a training session on Sunday.

The French medical team will continue to monitor the injury ahead of the opening game of the Championship against Wales in Paris on Friday, January 31st.

“He had a little pain with a small muscle problem so we’ll see. He will undergo tests, we will know more in the coming days,” explained assistant attack coach Patrick Arlettaz in a press conference after training.

Antoine Dupont speaks at the official Men’s Six Nations launch

France star Antoine Dupont spoke to the media at the official Guinness Men’s Six Nations launch event in Rome and at the Colosseum.

Antoine Dupont speaks at the official Men’s Six Nations launch

France star Antoine Dupont spoke to the media at the official Guinness Men’s Six Nations launch event in Rome and at the Colosseum.

“Apparently, it’s not very serious … we know that the first training sessions are intense, we’re pulling a little”, he continued,

Penaud has been in sensational form for Bordeaux, scoring a Champions Cup record six tries against the Sharks a fortnight ago and has 15 tries in 10 appearances for the season overall.

The double hat-trick scorer finished as the Six Nations top try-scorer in 2023, having shared the accolade with his team-mate, Gabin Villière, the year before.

However, after scoring in the first round against Ireland in last year’s Six Nations he failed to cross the whitewash in the remaining four matches. He then missed the Autumn Nations Series due to illness.

Villière is one of the main options to replace Penaud, with young speedster Louis Bielle-Biarrey expected to fill the other wing spot.

Théo Attissogbé is another contender unless Fabien Galthié decides to turn one of his centres, either Émilien Gailleton or Yoram Moefana, into a makeshift winger.