Wing Penaud left out of France’s Six Nations squad

Before a potentially crucial opening round match against Ireland on February 5, France’s all-time top try-scorer Damian Penaud is omitted from the defending champions’ Six Nations squad.

The 29-year-old wing started all three of France’s autumn internationals in November and has 40 tries in 59 appearances for his country.

However, this season, his strike rate has decreased. In 16 games for the club and nation so far, Penaud has attempted eight tries, compared to 27 in 2024 and 25.

With Henry Pollock’s late kick-in in a recent Bordeaux-Begles’ Champions Cup win being the most recent piece of evidence against him, his defense has also received criticism.

In addition to Antoine Dupont’s injury at last year’s Six Nations, veteran center Gael Fickou and back row Gregory Alldritt, who captained the team at the time, are one of several prominent players being selected by coach Fabien Galthie.

Galthie has called up a number of young centers in Fickou’s absence, led by Toulouse’s much-anticipated 20-year-old Kalvin Gourgues, who won his first cap against Australia in November.

Aaron Grandider-Nkanang, Pau’s London-born wing, is one of the 17 backs chosen for having 10 caps or less. The 25-year-old won Olympic Sevens gold alongside Dupont at Paris 2024, but he has yet to play for France in the 15-a-side competition.

Romain Ntamack is expected to miss the first two matches of France’s campaign while he is sidelined with a back injury, but Bordeaux-Begles’ in-form Mathieu Jalibert appears to be leading the charge at fly-half.

After recovering from knee ligament damage sustained at the previous year’s tournament, Talismanic scrumhalf Dupont is in line to play again.