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Friday
21:45
Friday
22:10
Saturday
13:40
Saturday
16:00
Saturday
16:10
Saturday
16:30
Saturday
18:40
Saturday
22:10
Sunday
15:00
Sunday
17:10

Galthie makes big call on flyhalf

By AFP
Wednesday 11 Nov 2026
France's scrum-halfAntoine Dupont (C) controls the ball in front of France's scrum-half Maxime Lucu (2ndL), France's wing Louis Bielle-Biarrey (L) and France's fullback Thomas Ramos during a training session of the French national rugby team ahead of their Six Nations international rugby union match against England, in Marcoussis, south of Paris, on March 11, 2026. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP via Getty Images)

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: France coach Fabien Galthie announced on Wednesday that captain Antoine Dupont would play at flyhalf against South Africa in their Nations Championship match.

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Les Bleus are missing their four first-choice number 10s in Romain Ntamack, Matthieu Jalibert, Antoine Hastoy and Thomas Ramos, who usually plays at fullback but is also a top-class flyhalf.

Dupont and Maxime Lucu had been widely expected to line up in the half-back positions, but with the captain retaining his scrum-half spot.

Lucu had come on at flyhalf outside Dupont against Fiji last week to replace Ntamack, who suffered a shoulder injury just past the half-hour mark.

But against the Boks, their roles will be reversed.

Galthie has opted to beef up his pack against the fearsome Springbok forwards on Friday night at the Stade de France, with Julien Marchand picked in place of Maxime Lamothe at hooker.

Former captain Gregory Alldritt makes his return to the team for the first time in a year at No.8 with fellow back-rower Paul Boudehent injured.

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France: 15 Théo Attissogbe, 14 Aaron Grandidier-Nkanang, 13 Kalvin Gourgues, 12 Yoram Moefana, 11 Louis Bielle-Biarrey, 10 Antoine Dupont, 9 Maxime Lucu (captain), 8 Gregory Alldritt, 7 Cameron Woki, 6 François Cros, 5 Mickaël Guillard, 4 Florian Verhaeghe, 3 Sipili Falatea, 2 Julien Marchand, 1 Jean-Baptiste Gros.
Replacements: 16 Peato Mauvaka, 17 Rodrigue Neti, 18 Régis Montagne, 19 Charles Ollivon, 20 Tom Staniforth, 21 Esteban Capilla, 22 Axel Desperes, 23 Emilien Gailleton.

Date: Friday, November 13
Venue: Stade de France, Paris
Kick-off: 21.10 CET (22.10 SAST; 20:10 GMT)
Referee: Andrea Piardi (Italy)
Assistant Referees: Christophe Ridley (England), Gianluca Gnecchi (Italy)
TMO: Matteo Liperini (Italy)

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