logo
Dupont returns to captain France against Wales

Dupont returns to captain France against Wales

BBC News29-01-2025

Men's Six Nations: France v WalesVenue: Stade de France Date: Friday, 31 January Kick-off: 20:15 GMTCoverage: Listen live on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru, BBC 5 Live; text commentary and highlights on BBC Sport website and app; watch on S4C.
Antoine Dupont will return to captain France in their Six Nations opener against Wales on Friday.Dupont, 28, missed the 2024 championships in order to focus on rugby sevens ahead of his home Olympics in Paris.Such was his impact, he helped France win the gold medal and was named World Rugby Men's Sevens Player of the Year.Dupont's half-back partner Romain Ntamack is also back after suffering a serious knee injury which forced him to miss the 2023 World Cup and last year's championship.France come into the Six Nations having won all three of their autumn internationals against Japan, New Zealand and Argentina.They will be looking to repeat their heroics of 2022, when they completed the Grand Slam.
Jean-Baptiste Gros, Peato Mauvaka and Uini Antonia are named in the front row, with Alexandre Roumat and Emmanuel Meafou as locks.Francois Cros, Paul Boudehent and Gregory Alldritt make up the back row.Pierre-Louis Barrassi and Yoram Moefana form France's centre partnership, while Louis Bielle-Biarrey, Theo Attissogbe and Thomas Ramos make up the back three.Wing Damian Penaud has been ruled out of the game with a toe injury, while centre Gael Fickou is recovering from a fractured thumb.Flanker Charles Ollivon will miss the entire tournament and the rest of the season after undergoing knee surgery.Head coach Fabien Galthie has gone for a six-two split among his replacements.
France: Thomas Ramos; Theo Attissogbe, Pierre-Louis Barrassi, Yoram Moefana, Louis Bielle-Biarrey; Romaine Ntamack, Antoine Dupont (capt); Jean-Baptiste Gros, Peato Mauvaka, Uini Atonio, Alexandre Roumat, Emmanuel Meafou, Francois Cros, Paul Boudehent, Gregory AlldrittReplacements: Julien Marchand, Cyril Baille, Georges-Henri Colombe, Hugo Auradou, Mickael Guillard, Oscar Jegou, Nolann Le Garrec, Emilien Gailleton.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Andy Murray calls out tennis chiefs over Coco Gauff treatment after French Open champion made shock revelation about the tournament
Andy Murray calls out tennis chiefs over Coco Gauff treatment after French Open champion made shock revelation about the tournament

Daily Mail​

time2 hours ago

  • Daily Mail​

Andy Murray calls out tennis chiefs over Coco Gauff treatment after French Open champion made shock revelation about the tournament

Andy Murray has called out tennis chiefs over treatment surrounding Coco Gauff on the back of her French Open victory. The 21-year-old American sensation conquered Roland-Garros for the very first time after coming from behind to defeat the top-ranked Sabalenka 6-7, 6-2, 6-4. This marked the second Grand Slam of Gauff's career, having also claimed the 2023 US Open title. The world No 2 became the first American to win the French Open since Serena Williams in 2015. Now, she will look to back-up her success at Wimbledon later this month, going into the tournament as third favourite for victory, behind Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina. In the fall-out of the French Open, though, Gauff took to social media the show off her trophy - but it wasn't as fans may expect. She revealed the actual trophy the winners get to take home, and it's not quite the one supporters see when the trophy is lifted. She took to TikTok to reveal that the actual trophy they get to take home is a lot smaller 'This is the trophy that you guys see,' Gauff said in the post. 'The one that we take pictures with, do press with and all that. 'But, actually, we don't get to take this home. This stays with the tournament.' Picking up the smaller trophy, she continued: 'This is the one we take home. It's like a mini replica of the trophy. It's… really small.' 'That's how small it is. But, you know, it's the memories that matter the most.' Murray, meanwhile, took to social media to give his opinion, and called out the authorities. 'Surely the tennis majors can do a better job with the replica trophies!?' he wrote. 'They are tiny.' Women's tennis players, meanwhile, will now received protected rankings during periods where they undergo fertility treatment, according to a new announcement. The WTA, the sport's governing body broke new ground in March when they announced that they would be ensuring that their players would be eligible to receive maternity pay and 'comprehensive benefits' thanks to a new initiative between the organisation and their partner the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF).

Luke Littler ready for ‘one of the best feelings' playing at World Cup
Luke Littler ready for ‘one of the best feelings' playing at World Cup

North Wales Chronicle

time2 hours ago

  • North Wales Chronicle

Luke Littler ready for ‘one of the best feelings' playing at World Cup

The 18-year-old will team up in Frankfurt with Luke Humphries, who beat Littler in the Premier League final at the O2 Arena last month. Humphries guided England to a record-breaking fifth World Cup success with Michael Smith last year and a sixth crown is being plotted at Eissporthalle ahead of the tournament starting on Thursday. 'I've not spoke to anyone about putting the shirt on for your country, but I am sure it is one of the best feelings you'll ever have. I'm sure me and Luke are ready for it,' Littler reflected. THE GROUPS 🔢 Here's how the groups shape up ahead at the 2025 @BetVictor World Cup of Darts… Reminder that the top four seeded nations enter in the second round. Read more 👉 — PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) June 4, 2025 'Obviously Luke won it last year with Michael Smith, I'm sure he'll want to go back-to-back. For myself, I want to win it on debut just as much as Luke wants to retain it.' If Littler is to enjoy a maiden World Cup of Darts triumph, he will have to improve his recent form in Germany. The start of a hex can be charted back to September when Littler collapsed from a position of strength to lose to Peter Wright in the German Darts Championship final. Boos occurred on that occasion and Littler struggled on Night Nine of the Premier League in Berlin at the start of April before three weeks later he fell short of German Grand Prix success in Munich. Littler added: 'The only bad one last year was Hildesheim against Peter Wright. I think I was 5-2 up, lost 8-5 and obviously as soon as you're beating the home favourite, as everyone likes to call it, that is when they don't start to like you. A post shared by Luke TheNuke Littler (@lukethenukelittler) 'I wouldn't say it's upset me but I would say I was obviously a bit angry. I wouldn't say (during) Premier League. The biggest one is Germany, but I did what Gerwyn Price always does, go on Instagram, have a bit of a moan and take it down half an hour later.' World Cup delight with England – with the holders set to start their campaign in the second round on Saturday – will help Littler forget about his past tricky experiences in Germany and may change his mind on whether darts should be entered into the Olympics. 'Yeah, there was a lot of talk last year on the Olympics and for myself, I don't have a clue,' Littler admitted. 'Would it be good? Would it be bad? I'm not really an Olympics person, so I won't sit there and watch it. 'I don't know if it would be good or bad for darts. I am not sure if it would fit in as much.'

Luke Littler ready for ‘one of the best feelings' playing at World Cup
Luke Littler ready for ‘one of the best feelings' playing at World Cup

Leader Live

time2 hours ago

  • Leader Live

Luke Littler ready for ‘one of the best feelings' playing at World Cup

The 18-year-old will team up in Frankfurt with Luke Humphries, who beat Littler in the Premier League final at the O2 Arena last month. Humphries guided England to a record-breaking fifth World Cup success with Michael Smith last year and a sixth crown is being plotted at Eissporthalle ahead of the tournament starting on Thursday. 'I've not spoke to anyone about putting the shirt on for your country, but I am sure it is one of the best feelings you'll ever have. I'm sure me and Luke are ready for it,' Littler reflected. THE GROUPS 🔢 Here's how the groups shape up ahead at the 2025 @BetVictor World Cup of Darts… Reminder that the top four seeded nations enter in the second round. Read more 👉 — PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) June 4, 2025 'Obviously Luke won it last year with Michael Smith, I'm sure he'll want to go back-to-back. For myself, I want to win it on debut just as much as Luke wants to retain it.' If Littler is to enjoy a maiden World Cup of Darts triumph, he will have to improve his recent form in Germany. The start of a hex can be charted back to September when Littler collapsed from a position of strength to lose to Peter Wright in the German Darts Championship final. Boos occurred on that occasion and Littler struggled on Night Nine of the Premier League in Berlin at the start of April before three weeks later he fell short of German Grand Prix success in Munich. Littler added: 'The only bad one last year was Hildesheim against Peter Wright. I think I was 5-2 up, lost 8-5 and obviously as soon as you're beating the home favourite, as everyone likes to call it, that is when they don't start to like you. A post shared by Luke TheNuke Littler (@lukethenukelittler) 'I wouldn't say it's upset me but I would say I was obviously a bit angry. I wouldn't say (during) Premier League. The biggest one is Germany, but I did what Gerwyn Price always does, go on Instagram, have a bit of a moan and take it down half an hour later.' World Cup delight with England – with the holders set to start their campaign in the second round on Saturday – will help Littler forget about his past tricky experiences in Germany and may change his mind on whether darts should be entered into the Olympics. 'Yeah, there was a lot of talk last year on the Olympics and for myself, I don't have a clue,' Littler admitted. 'Would it be good? Would it be bad? I'm not really an Olympics person, so I won't sit there and watch it. 'I don't know if it would be good or bad for darts. I am not sure if it would fit in as much.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store