2025 Six Nations Tournament: Auradou and Jegou Return, Ntamack and Slimani Included – Meet the 42 Selected Players

2025 Six Nations Tournament: Auradou and Jegou Return, Ntamack and Slimani Included – Meet the 42 Selected Players

Head coach Fabien Galthié announced a preliminary roster of 42 players for the upcoming Six Nations Tournament, featuring notable returns like Romain Ntamack and Rabah Slimani. The squad also sees new talents like 20-year-old Noah Nene stepping up due to injuries among key players. The tournament will take place until March 15, promising an exciting series of matches as the French team prepares for their opener against Wales on January 31.

On Wednesday, head coach Fabien Galthié unveiled an initial roster of 42 players for the highly anticipated Six Nations Tournament. While this squad will undergo adjustments before the French team’s opening match against Wales on January 31 at 9:15 PM, it already reveals some intriguing insights into the French coaching staff’s strategy. Several key takeaways emerge from this preliminary lineup.

Notable Returns to the Squad

One of the most significant comebacks is that of Romain Ntamack, who rejoins the national team after a lengthy absence of seventeen months due to injuries that sidelined him during the last World Cup. Now back in form with Stade Toulousain, the 25-year-old fly-half is poised to reclaim his starting position, partnering once again with the experienced Antoine Dupont, who has earned 55 caps at 28 years old. Additionally, the veteran prop Rabah Slimani is making his return after not playing for France since October 2019, and he has been performing admirably with Leinster. Another noteworthy re-entrance is Dany Priso, who last donned the French jersey in November 2022.

New Faces and Rising Stars

Amidst injuries to key players like Fickou, Ollivon, Danty, and Wardi, some fresh talents are seizing the opportunity to step into the limelight at Marcoussis. Among them is 20-year-old center Noah Nene, who is making waves in Pro D2 with Dax. He will be joined by the versatile Gaël Dréan, a standout performer this season for Toulon. Meanwhile, second-row Hugo Auradou and third-row Oscar Jegou are also included in the squad, despite an ongoing legal situation in Argentina. Galthié expressed confidence in their innocence following a recent dismissal of the case.

The Six Nations Tournament is scheduled to run until March 15, setting the stage for an exciting and competitive series of matches.

THE SQUADFORWARDS: Esteban ABADIE (RC Toulon), Dorian ALDEGHERI (Stade Toulousain), Grégory ALLDRITT (Stade Rochelais), Uini ATONIO (Stade Rochelais), Hugo AURADOU (Section Paloise), Cyril BAILLE (Stade Toulousain), Giorgi BERIA (USA Perpignan), Paul BOUDEHENT (Stade Rochelais), Joshua BRENNAN (Stade Toulousain), Georges-Henri COLOMBE (Stade Rochelais), François CROS (Stade Toulousain), Thibaud FLAMENT (Stade Toulousain), Marko GAZZOTTI (Union Bordeaux Bègles), Jean-Baptiste GROS (RC Toulon), Matthias HALAGAHU (RC Toulon), Oscar JEGOU (Stade Rochelais), Anthony JELONCH (Stade Toulousain), Maxime LAMOTHE (Union Bordeaux Bègles), Julien MARCHAND (Stade Toulousain), Peato MAUVAKA (Stade Toulousain), Emmanuel MEAFOU (Stade Toulousain), Dany PRISO (RC Toulon), Rabah SLIMANI (Leinster), Romain TAOFIFENUA (Lyon OU Rugby).BACKS: Théo ATTISSOGBE (Section Paloise), Pierre-Louis BARASSI (Stade Toulousain), Léo BARRÉ (Stade Français Paris), Louis BIELLE-BIARREY (Union Bordeaux Bègles), Nicolas DEPOORTERE (Union Bordeaux Bègles), Gaël DRÉAN (RC Toulon), Antoine DUPONT (Stade Toulousain), Antoine FRISCH (RC Toulon), Émilien GAILLETON (Section Paloise), Matthieu JALIBERT (Union Bordeaux Bègles), Nolann LE GARREC (Racing 92), Maxime LUCU (Union Bordeaux Bègles), Yoram MOEFANA (Union Bordeaux Bègles), Noah NENE (US Dax), Romain NTAMACK (Stade Toulousain), Damian PENAUD (Union Bordeaux Bègles), Thomas RAMOS (Stade Toulousain), Gabin VILLIÈRE (RC Toulon).