Overview
- Fabien Galthié confirmed Antoine Dupont starts at scrum-half and captains France in his first Test since last March’s knee injury.
- Matthieu Jalibert starts at fly-half alongside Dupont, while Dorian Aldegheri replaces the retired Uini Atonio at tighthead and winger Theo Attissogbe is drafted in with Damian Penaud omitted.
- Kickoff is 20:10 GMT on Thursday at the Stade de France, with live coverage on ITV1 and ITVX in the UK.
- Ireland’s selection is stretched, with Bundee Aki suspended and injuries sidelining Tadhg Furlong, Andrew Porter and Hugo Keenan.
- The 2026 championship is condensed into six weeks with only one rest weekend, tightening recovery windows across the early rounds.