PARIS :Flyhalf Romain Ntamack is back in the France team for the first time in almost 18 months but winger Damian Penaud is injured for the Six Nations opener against Wales, adding to a list of key players unavailable for Friday’s clash at the Stade de France.
Ntamack missed the 2023 World Cup with a knee injury and his planned comeback last November was curtailed by a calf injury, but he will reprise his highly rated combination with captain Antoine Dupont, coach Fabien Galthie announced.
Penaud had been expected to return to the team but suffered a toe injury in training and Theo Attissogbe will line up on the wing instead.
France are already without veteran centre Gael Fickou, lock Thibaud Flament and loose forward Charles Ollivon, with Galthie making five changes in total from their last outing when they beat Argentina 37-23 in Paris in November.
Ntamack’s return pushes Thomas Ramos to fullback in place of Leo Barre while Pierre-Louis Barassi replaces Fickou in the midfield and Attissogbe takes Gabin Villiere’s place on the wing.
Former captain Gregory Alldritt returns to the back of the pack in place of Ollivon after being dropped ahead of the win over Argentina while Alexandre Roumat is in for Flament.
On the bench, Galthie has included Hugo Auradou and Oscar Jegou, who debuted in Argentina last year but were then arrested on rape charges that were later dropped.
Galthie refused to answer a question about their controversial inclusion. “We’ve already answered these questions a lot. Today is the announcement of the French team, on the players who play, those who perform. I will focus on these answers,” he told reporters.
Auradou and Jegou, both 21, had been under investigation since July for alleged aggravated rape — a charge used for suspected gang rape — in Argentina’s Mendoza province after they both made their international debuts but last month a court dismissed charges and the French federation said they were available for international duty again.
The two players, allowed to leave Argentina in September, always denied any wrongdoing and said the sex was consensual. The plaintiff has appealed the court’s decision and the next hearing will take place on Feb. 10.
Team: 15-Leo Barre, 14-Theo Attissogbe, 13-Pierre-Louis Barassi, 12-Yoram Moefana, 11-Louis Bielle-Biarrey, 10-Romain Ntamack, 9-Antoine Dupont (captain), 8-Gregory Alldritt, 7-Paul Boudehent, 6-Francois Cros, 5-Emmanuel Meafou, 4-Alexandre Roumat, 3-Uini Atonio, 2-Peato Mauvaka, 1-Jean-Baptiste Gros
Replacements: 16-Julien Marchand, 17-Cyril Baille, 18-Georges-Henri Colombe, 19-Hugo Auradou, 20-Mickel Guillard, 21-Oscar Jegou, 22-Nolann Le Garrec, 23-Emilien Gailleton.
(Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
