PARIS (AP) — Backs Damian Penaud and Matthieu Jalibert were axed from France's team to play Italy on Sunday in the Six Nations, paying the price for poor performances against England.
The decision by coach Fabien Galthié on Friday came after Les Tricolores made sloppy handling errors and missed tackles in a 26-25 loss at Twickenham two weeks ago. France dominated lengthy passages of play but failed to put away an England side which won with a converted try at the death.
It is another blow for Jalibert, who was recalled to the side by Galthié after walking out on the the squad in mid-November because he wasn’t picked for a match against New Zealand.
But Jalibert's tackling against England was poor and that was also the case for Penaud, who has 37 international tries in 54 tests, and needs just one more try to equal France record-holder Serge Blanco.
“I spent two hours with Damian on Tuesday at the end of the afternoon, talking, listening to him, sharing,” Galthié said. “We absolutely have to be in harmony even if I understand that it is never easy for a competitor, for a champion, to accept, to take in the decision.”
With Romain Ntamatck still suspended following his reckless red card in the 43-0 hammering of Wales three weeks ago, fullback Thomas Ramos was moved to flyhalf alongside captain and scrumhalf Antoine Dupont.
Penaud was the pre-tournament favorite to be the leading try-scorer but missed the Wales win because of a toe injury. He's been replaced by four-cap winger Théo Attissogbe, while Léo Barré starts at fullback for his seventh cap.
Galthié seems to be in the mood to shake things up for this game, with the French going with a South Africa-style 7-1 bench split for the first time.
France drew with Italy 13-13 in Lille last year only because a last-gasp penalty by Italy hit the post. This season, Italy was tied with favored Scotland 19-19 at Murrayfield before losing 31-19 and then beat Wales 22-15 in Rome.
“First of all, (7-1) it's tactical. I can't go too much into the strategy and reveal it, but it's to do with how we have analysed our opponent since Gonzalo Quesada took charge,” Galthié said. “We chose to test out a strategy to counter the key areas in which the Italians perform enormously well. That is to say their ground game."
Veteran scrumhalf Maxime Lucu is the only back among the reserves.
“It's true that it comes with a risk,” Galthié acknowledged.
AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby
France head coach Fabien Galthie stands on the touchline during the Six Nations match against England at Twickenham, London Saturday Feb. 8, 2025. (David Davies/PA via AP)
France's Damian Penaud drops the ball during the Six Nations rugby union match between England and France at Twickenham in London, Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)
