Person: Gael Fickou

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

rugby

Vakatawa returns to France XV for Wales clash

Gael Fickou moves to the wing, where he replaces the injured Vincent Rattez.

rugby

Few do Rugby World Cup drama quite like the feuding French

rugby

France edge out Argentina with late drop-goal

rugby

France thrash Scotland in Nice

columnists

Return of maturing Ringrose will be key plus for Ireland

rugby

We’ve nothing to lose against Ireland, says Gaël Fickou

Old friends reunited as O’Connell signs Stade deal

It’s a case of friends reunited for Paul O’Connell, after the 38 year-old Munster and Ireland legend confirmed yesterday he is to move to Paris and take up as role as forwards coach with Stade Francais.

Sat, 04 Aug, 2018

Leinster face old European royalty as Munster pitted against France’s finest

Rugby’s Champions Cup draw has always had a tendency to slip under the radar and the absence of anything that could be confidently construed as the definitive ‘pool of death’ won’t have done anything to bump the latest edition up the list of sports news headlines.

Thu, 21 Jun, 2018

Racing pay heavy price for resting stars

Munster will go into Champions Cup semi-final weekend as the only one of Europe’s last four with a win behind them after their opponents this Saturday – Racing 92 – were defeated by Toulouse.

Mon, 16 Apr, 2018

Wales win to secure second; Scotland third; France fourth; England fifth

Wales secured runners-up spot in this season's NatWest 6 Nations Championship after edging out France at the Principality Stadium.

Sat, 17 Mar, 2018

Ulster boss Jono Gibbes wary of La Rochelle ‘X-factor’

Ulster’s head coach Jono Gibbes knows all too well what lies in store for his side when they travel to face the ebullient La Rochelle outfit in the second stanza of Champion Cup action on Sunday.

Thu, 19 Oct, 2017

Glasgow Warriors v Munster - European Rugby Champions Cup Pool 1 Round 5

Munster v Toulouse: How the sides compare

MUNSTER - Team news

Sat, 01 Apr, 2017

No April fools around at this stage of Champions Cup

Bernard Jackman and the talking points from this weekend’s rugby.

Sat, 01 Apr, 2017

Racing 92 v Munster - European Rugby Champions Cup Pool 1 Round 1 Refixture

Stars aligning as Munster defying the odds again

So much has changed since Munster set out on their inaugural fixture in this season’s Champions Cup campaign that it’s difficult to grasp that they now sit just 80 minutes away from an appearance in the semi-final stage of the tournament.

Wed, 29 Mar, 2017

Munster ‘firepower’ to decide it

Grenoble interim head coach Mike Prendergast believes that Munster hold too much firepower for Toulouse in Saturday’s Champions Cup quarter-final at Thomond Park.

Wed, 29 Mar, 2017

Raphael Lakafia and Racing pair boost French squad

France have called up Stade Français back-row Raphael Lakafia to replace Damien Chouly ahead of Saturday’s Six Nations clash with Ireland.

Tue, 21 Feb, 2017

Garry Ringrose ready for call to arms

Friday afternoon in Monaghan RFC and all seems right with the world. The vibe is good and a rare weekend off base awaits. 

Mon, 20 Feb, 2017

Finn Russell rues luck as Scotland fall to France's fightback

Scotland head coach Vern Cotter could not explain what went wrong with Finn Russell’s bizarre missed conversion after his side lost 22-16 to France in Paris.

Mon, 13 Feb, 2017

Why Ireland need to get back with Joe Schmidt’s programme

The good news is that the areas of vulnerability last weekend are all fixable, writes Donal Lenihan.

Wed, 08 Feb, 2017

You are never blasé about Six Nations

How would France do in the Six Nations championship with Joe Schmidt in charge? That was an interesting hypothetical posed to me ahead of the Six Nations championship.

Fri, 03 Feb, 2017

Regrets? Connacht will have a few

Toulouse 19 Connacht 10: Two points. Two measly points was all that separated Connacht from the losing bonus point they needed to secure a historic first step through to the knockout stages of the European Cup and it will eat away at them for an eternity.

Mon, 23 Jan, 2017

Match in a minute: Heartbreak for Connacht as Toulouse knock them out of Champions Cup

Connacht were denied a quarter-final spot in the Champions Cup despite a strong second half showing as Toulouse claimed a 19-10 victory.

Sun, 22 Jan, 2017

Why Scotland will provide a stiffer test to Ireland than ailing Italy

As good as Ireland’s performance was in throwing off the shackles to score a Six Nations record nine tries against Italy last Saturday, a confident Scotland side, who visit Dublin on Saturday, will pose more searching questions. Here’s why.

Tue, 15 Mar, 2016

Greig Laidlaw wants to finish on a high

Scotland 29 France 18: Scotland skipper Greig Laidlaw has urged his team to finish their Six Nations campaign with a flourish in Dublin.

Mon, 14 Mar, 2016

How France and Ireland compare

FRANCE

Sat, 13 Feb, 2016

Bernard Jackman: Experimental French side sure to cause Joe Schmidt a few problems

I wonder what Guy Noves must be thinking this week as he prepares to pit himself against Joe Schmidt for the first time in international battle.

Thu, 11 Feb, 2016

Guy Noves: France will improve after ‘starting from the bottom’

France head coach Guy Noves will seek considerable improvements from his new team’s opening RBS 6 Nations win over Italy as he prepares for this Saturday’s visit of defending champions Ireland.

Tue, 09 Feb, 2016

Toulouse v Ulster - European Rugby Champions Cup - Pool 1 Round 4

Rory Best says ‘tweaks’ bearing fruit for Ulster

Toulouse 23 Ulster 25: Ulster completed a European Champions Cup double over Toulouse to keep their quarter-final hopes alive with a 25-23 triumph at Stade Ernest Wallon.

Mon, 21 Dec, 2015

Romanians sound warning for Ireland

France 38 Romania 11: If Ireland had allowed any complacency to creep into their minds ahead of Sunday’s clash with Romania then this will have surely eradicated it.

Thu, 24 Sep, 2015

Olympic stage set for more feelgood factor as minnows front up to France

A tournament that has already captivated, thanks largely to Japan’s heroics, will hope to plug into the ultimate feelgood sporting event in modern English history when France and Romania meet in the Olympic Stadium’s first pool match this evening.

Wed, 23 Sep, 2015

5 backs to keep an eye on at the RWC

Steve Neville looks at five backs who could have a breakthrough tournament in England at the World Cup.

Mon, 14 Sep, 2015

French leave out Francois Trinh-Duc for Rugby World Cup squad

France coach Philippe Saint-Andre has left out fly-half Francois Trinh-Ducfrom his 31-man World Cup squad, in favour of Frederic Michalak.

Mon, 24 Aug, 2015

France back on track

Italy 0 France 29

Mon, 16 Mar, 2015

Andrea Masi: Our objective is to earn respect for good

RBS Six Nations

Sat, 14 Mar, 2015

France ring changes for 6 Nations clash

France coach Philippe Saint-Andre has made eight changes for Sunday’s RBS 6 Nations clash with Italy at the Stadio Olimpico.

Fri, 13 Mar, 2015

Munster boost as O’Mahony given all-clear

Munster have been given a boost ahead of today’s Heineken Cup quarter-final against Toulouse after captain Peter O’Mahony was included in Rob Penney’s team to face the four-time champions at Thomond Park (1:30pm).

Sat, 05 Apr, 2014

Potent Thomond cocktail can leave French reeling

Memo to Munster fans from Ronan O'Gara : Get into Thomond Park a good 45 minutes before tomorrow’s Heineken Cup quarter-final.

Fri, 04 Apr, 2014

Grunt in abundance, but Munster guile still missing

When news filtered into the press room 30 minutes before kick-off that Peter O’Mahony was a Munster absentee, the odds on a visitors’ success dropped a fathom.

Mon, 31 Mar, 2014

There’s going to be a Munster surge in the next two years

Derby day tomorrow in Paris and Dublin.

Fri, 28 Mar, 2014

Hurley set to take centre stage

Munster could be poised to mix up their midfield for tomorrow’s RaboDirect Pro12 top-of-the-table clash with Leinster by including Denis Hurley at inside centre.

Fri, 28 Mar, 2014

Toulouse rest stars with Munster on the horizon

Toulouse coach Guy Noves looks to have prioritised the Heineken Cup over the Top 14 after deciding to give three of his French internationals a weekend off ahead of their quarter-final trip to Munster.

Thu, 27 Mar, 2014

Ireland: Six Nations champions on O'Driscoll's final day

France 20 Ireland 22

Sat, 15 Mar, 2014

Pape wants France to rediscover trademark finesse

Captain Pascal Pape insists France care more about finishing their Six Nations campaign in style than silencing the critics.

Sat, 15 Mar, 2014

Schmidt: BOD and D'Arcy are 'last bastion' of creative midfielders

Brian O’Driscoll and Gordon D’Arcy must dominate the generation game to guide Ireland to RBS 6 Nations glory in Paris, according to Joe Schmidt.

Fri, 14 Mar, 2014

France look to Fickou for salvation

RBS SIX NATIONS:

Fri, 14 Mar, 2014

Return of key man O’Mahony a boost for Schmidt

Joe Schmidt sees Peter O’Mahony as a key figure in Ireland’s assault on the Six Nations title at Stade de France on Saturday.

Fri, 14 Mar, 2014

Saint-Andre opts for size as France eye the big prize

If Ireland are to win in Paris for just the second time in 42 years then they may have to do it the hard way after France coach Philippe Saint-Andre named his strongest side thus far in the Six Nations.

Fri, 14 Mar, 2014

Saint Andre names Fickou in France team

France have included centre Gael Fickou in one of four changes to their starting XV for Saturday’s clash with Ireland on the final weekend of the RBS 6 Nations.

Thu, 13 Mar, 2014

France get the jump on Ireland - in the rankings

France jumped ahead of Ireland in the IRB’s World Rankings following Saturday’s narrow victory over Scotland.

Tue, 11 Mar, 2014

Lancaster pledges Twickers treat for England fans

Scotland 0 England 20

Mon, 10 Feb, 2014