Six Nations team guide: Fabien Galthié's France

Simon Lewis and Donal Lenihan take a deeper look at the French ahead of the 2024 Six Nations.

MAESTRO: Matthieu Jalibert of France. Pic: David Rogers, Getty Images

Home: Fixtures in Marseille, Lille and Lyon 

Pivotal match: Friday's Rd 1 showdown with title rivals Ireland as Fabien Galthié’s men begin life, for the championship, without Olympics-bound Antoine Dupont.

WR: 4 

2023  Test Record: P14 W11 L3 

World Cup hangover? You betcha. A one-point quarter-final defeat to South Africa on home soil the night after Ireland exited the tournament in the same arena deflated the host nation and Les Bleus begin the 2024 championship in search of redemption.

2023 Six Nations: Runners-Up P5 W4 L1 

Championship best: Grand Slam 2002, 2004, 2010, 2022 

And one to forget: Wooden Spoon 2013 

Head coach: Fabien Galthié (start date 2020) P20 W16 L4 

Win Rate: 80% 

Captain: Gregory Alldritt (first 6N as skipper) 

Most appearances: 44 - Gael Fickou (2013-current) 

Most points: 217 - Dimitri Yachvili (2003-12); current: 89 – Thomas Ramos 

Most tries: 11 - Vincent Clerc (2003-13); current: 14 – Damian Penaud 

Keep An Eye On… Maxime Lucu and Mathieu Jalibert, the French half-backs and Bordeaux teammates covering for the absent Dupont and Romain Ntamack.

New Faces: Posolo Tuilagi is the latest member of the famous Samoan rugby dynasty. Son of Henry, nephew of England centre Manu, the 19-year-old Perpignan lock packs a punch at 23st-plus and could make his France debut in this Six Nations.

MIA: Captain and talismanic scrum-half Antoine Dupont is the major absentee as he chases a place on the France Sevens squad for this summer’s Paris Olympics but France are missing a host of big names. 

Fly-half Romain Ntamack is still sidelined with the injury that kept him out of the World Cup, while Toulouse back-rower Anthony Jelonch, potential lock debutant Emmanuel Meafou and hooker Pierre Bourgarit are also missing. 

Lock Thibaud Flament will miss the opening game against Ireland.

Forwards (20): E Abadie (Toulon), D Aldegheri (Toulouse), G Alldritt (La Rochelle) – captain, U Atonio (La Rochelle), C Baille (Toulouse), G Barlot (Castres Olympique), P Boudehent (La Rochelle), F Cros (Toulouse), P Gabrillagues (Stade Français), M Halagahu (Toulon), T Laclayat (Racing 92), J Marchand (Toulouse), P Mauvaka (Toulouse), L Nouchi (Montpellier), C Ollivon (Toulon), R Taofifenua (Lyon), S Taofifenua (Lyon), P Tuilagi (Perpignan), R Wardi (La Rochelle), C Woki (Racing 92).

Backs (14): L Barré (Stade Français), L Bielle-Biarrey (Bordeaux-Bègles), J Danty (La Rochelle), N Depoortère (Bordeaux-Bègles), G Fickou (Racing 92), E Gailleton (Pau), A Gibert (Racing 92), M Jalibert, pictured (Bordeaux-Bègles), N Le Garrec (Racing 92), M Lebel (Toulouse), M Lucu (Bordeaux-Bègles), Y Moefana (Bordeaux-Bègles), D Penaud (Bordeaux-Bègles), T Ramos (Toulouse).

Donal Lenihan's verdict: The last round of Champions Cup action proved very costly for Galthié with the loss of the Toulouse forwards Anthony Jelonch and newly qualified second-row Emmanuel Meafou adding to a growing injury list.

Already minus captain Antoine Dupont, Romain Ntamack and Thibaud Flamount, they are looking to put the disappointment of the World Cup behind them as quickly as possible and where better to start than in the atmospheric Stade Velodrome. Hosting both Ireland and England, albeit in unfamiliar surroundings in Marseille and Lyon, may yet prove a blessing in disguise and offer their squad a new perspective.

Bear in mind that the French only lost out to eventual winners South Africa in their epic quarter-final by a single point and could so easily have gone all the way. If they can move on quickly, they have enough talent to edge out Ireland and win the championship.

Home advantage has proved the difference in separating France and Ireland over the last two years and whoever emerges on top Friday will be expected to go on to win the championship.