Damian Penaud: A Surprising Exclusion from France's Six Nations Squad
In a surprising turn of events, Damian Penaud, who holds the record as France's all-time leading try-scorer, has been left out of the squad for the upcoming Six Nations tournament. This omission is particularly noteworthy as France prepares for a crucial opening match against Ireland on February 5th.
The 29-year-old winger has a remarkable record, having scored 40 tries in 59 matches for the national team. He was a key player during France's autumn internationals last November, starting all three games. However, his performance this season has raised some eyebrows. Penaud has managed to score only eight tries in 16 matches across both club and country, a stark contrast to his impressive tally of 27 tries in just 26 appearances during the previous 2024-25 season.
Moreover, criticism has been directed at his defensive skills, particularly following a recent incident where he struggled to handle a kick ahead by Henry Pollock of Northampton during Bordeaux-Begles' Champions Cup victory. This has added to the concerns regarding his current form.
Penaud is not alone in facing this tough selection from coach Fabien Galthie, as several prominent players have also been excluded. This includes back-row star Gregory Alldritt, who previously served as captain when Antoine Dupont was injured during last year’s Six Nations, as well as experienced centre Gael Fickou.
Despite their absence, there's a possibility for Penaud, Alldritt, and Fickou to make a return, as coaches can call up players throughout the Six Nations campaign. Nevertheless, Galthie’s choices appear to send a clear message ahead of the matchup against Ireland, the reigning champions of both the 2023 and 2024 tournaments.
In the wake of Fickou's exclusion, Galthie has opted for a fresh batch of young centres, led by the highly touted 20-year-old Kalvin Gourgues from Toulouse, who earned his first cap against Australia in November. Notably, eleven of the 17 backs included in the squad have 10 caps or fewer. Among them is Aaron Grandider-Nkanang, a wing born in London who, at 25 years old, is yet to make his debut in the traditional 15-a-side format but has previously secured an Olympic Sevens gold alongside Dupont at the Paris 2024 Games.
Complicating matters for the French squad, Romain Ntamack is sidelined due to a back injury, which is expected to keep him out of the first two matches of the Six Nations. In light of this, Mathieu Jalibert from Bordeaux-Begles is emerging as a frontrunner for the fly-half position.
On a more positive note, scrum-half Antoine Dupont is set to make a comeback to international rugby, following recovery from knee ligament damage sustained during last year’s tournament. With Maxime Lucu and Nolann Le Garrec unavailable due to injuries, Baptiste Serin finds himself back in favor, joined by Cameron Woki and Charles Ollivon in the forward pack.
Forwards: Dorian Aldegheri, Uini Atonio, Hugo Auradou, Cyril Baille, Paul Boudehent, François Cros, Alexandre Fischer, Thibaud Flament, Jean-Baptiste Gros, Mickaël Guillard, Oscar Jegou, Anthony Jelonch, Maxime Lamothe, Julien Marchand, Temo Matiu, Peato Mauvaka, Emmanuel Meafou, Régis Montagne, Rodrigue Neti, Lenni Nouchi, Charles Ollivon, Dany Priso, Thomas Staniforth, Tevita Tatafu, Cameron Woki.
Backs: Grégoire Arfeuil, Théo Attissogbe, Louis Bielle-Biarrey, Fabien Brau-Boirie, Romain Buros, Thibault Daubagna, Nicolas Depoortere, Gaël Dréan, Antoine Dupont, Kalvin Gourgues, Aaron Grandidier-Nkanang, Matthieu Jalibert, Yoram Moefana, Noah Nene, Thomas Ramos, Baptiste Serin, Ugo Seunes.
