Stade Français boss Paul Gustard reacts to Six Nations snub

Stade Français head coach Paul Gustard believes a couple of his players, in particular, can count themselves unfortunate not to be in France’s Guinness Six Nations squad.

The Parisian club have risen to third in the Top 14 table yet only have one representative in Fabien Galthié’s 42-man squad.

By contrast, Toulouse and Pau, the only two clubs above them in the standings, have 19 players between them.

Following the withdrawal of Uini Atonio, whose career is now over following a heart attack, and his team-mate Paul Boudehent through injury, La Rochelle also only have one player involved, as do another powerhouse of the French club game, Clermont.

According to a report in Midi Olympique, Gustard, his team, and more specifically his players, are not getting the recognition they deserve.

“We’re the third-ranked team, but at the moment, only Noah Néné has been called up to the French national team,” he said.

“For me, that’s strange; we have a lot of good players. Léo Barré, Louis Carbonnel… For me, he’s perhaps the best fly-half in France.”

Uncapped centre Néné, 21, is in his third season of senior pro rugby and has scored seven tries in 16 appearances for his club.

Full-back Barré has won nine caps for France, the last on the 2025 summer tour to New Zealand, while Carbonel, a member of the triumphant France U20 side that dominated the Junior World Cup in 2018 and 2019, has been in the international wilderness since July 2021.