Fabian Galthie Keeps Faith With Winning Core For Italy Clash
Fabian Galthie Keeps Faith With Winning Core For Italy Clash
France retain 13 starters from 54 - 12 Wales win, with Flament and Meafou promoted at lock as Les Bleus target third straight Six Nations victory over Italy
France head coach Fabien Galthie has resisted the urge to overhaul a winning formula, retaining 13 of the 15 starters who dismantled Wales as Les Bleus chase a third straight victory in the Six Nations Championship.
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A ruthless 54 - 12 triumph in Cardiff underlined France’s attacking depth, with eight tries exposing Wales at the Principality Stadium. The focus now shifts to Lille, where Italy arrive with growing confidence and a set piece capable of asking far sterner questions.
Galthie’s only changes come in the second row. Thibaud Flament and Emmanuel Meafou are promoted from the bench to start at lock, a selection that points directly at tightening France’s scrum and maul defence. The French pack has not dominated consistently through two rounds, and against an Azzurri side that prides itself on forward cohesion, the added ballast of the Toulouse pairing is a calculated move.
That adjustment pushes Charles Ollivon and Mickael Guillard to the bench despite impressive outings in the opening rounds. It also maintains continuity elsewhere. The front row of Jean Baptiste Gros, Julien Marchand and Dorian Aldegheri packs down together for a third successive Test, while Francois Cros, Oscar Jegou and Anthony Jelonch continue as the loose forward trio.
Behind the scrum, captain Antoine Dupont and Matthieu Jalibert again steer the side at half back. The midfield pairing of Fabien Brau Boirie and Emilien Gailleton keeps its place after an assured display last weekend, rewarding their composure following injuries to Yoram Moefana and Nicolas Depoortere.
In the back three, Louis Bielle Biarrey chases a remarkable eighth consecutive Championship round with a try, flanked by Theo Attissogbe, while Thomas Ramos remains at full back.
On the bench, Galthie sticks with a 6/2 split rather than revisiting last season’s short lived 7/1 experiment. Peato Mauvaka returns, Georges Henri Colombe comes in, and Pierre Louis Barassi takes the 23 shirt.
It is continuity over revolution for France. The message is clear: refine the edges, reinforce the engine room, and let the established core finish the job.
France Team To Face Italy
Starting XV: 15 Thomas Ramos, 14 Theo Attissogbe, 13 Emilien Gailleton, 12 Fabien Brau Boirie, 11 Louis Bielle Biarrey, 10 Matthieu Jalibert, 9 Antoine Dupont, 8 Anthony Jelonch, 7 Oscar Jegou, 6 Francois Cros, 5 Emmanuel Meafou, 4 Thibaud Flament, 3 Dorian Aldegheri, 2 Julien Marchand, 1 Jean Baptiste Gros
Replacements: 16 Peato Mauvaka, 17 Rodrigue Neti, 18 Georges Henri Colombe, 19 Charles Ollivon, 20 Mickael Guillard, 21 Lenni Nouchi, 22 Baptiste Serin, 23 Pierre Louis Barassi
How To Watch Six Nations 2026
The 2026 Six Nations Championship will be broadcast on different networks all over the world.
If you live in the USA, you can watch the games on Peacock.
- UK: BBC / ITV
- USA: Peacock
- Ireland: RTÉ / Virgin Media
- Wales (Welsh-language): S4C
- France: France Télévisions
- Italy: Sky Sport / NOW (all matches); TV8 (Italy matches free-to-air)
- South Africa: SuperSport
- Australia: Stan Sport
- New Zealand: Sky Sport NZ
How To Watch Rugby Matches In The United States On FloRugby
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