PARIS (Reuters) -France have brought in centre Gael Fickou and scrumhalf Maxime Lucu for the injured Antoine Dupont in two changes from the team that crushed Ireland in the lineup named on Thursday to face Scotland in Saturday’s Six Nations finale at Stade de France.
Dupont ruptured anterior cruciate ligaments after his knee buckled under pressure from the Irish defence at the back of a ruck.
Fickou has been called up by head coach Fabian Galthie after Pierre-Louis Barassi suffered a concussion at the Aviva Stadium.
France beat Ireland 42-27 last Saturday and victory against Scotland with a four-try bonus point would give them the title, their first since 2022.
England and Ireland are still in contention to finish top of the standings.
“Basically, nothing has changed since the win in Ireland. We’ve had the same dynamic for the last six years, we’ve had great successes and losses that hurt,” Galthie told a press conference on Thursday.
“We’re still committed to developing our players and being ambitious. We have great ambition and high standards to take the French team to the top no matter what happens.
“Last weekend’s result made that a reality but our challenge this weekend calls that achievement into question.”
Should France lift the trophy, they would take their seventh Six Nations title to match England’s record.
NO COMPLACENCY
While Les Bleus are odds-on favourites to succeed, Galthie warned against complacency.
“We have to be vigilant because we’re Latin. It’s in our genes. Opposite us are British nations who prepare very differently with an equal level of intensity,” he said.
“It’s specific to us and we have to be vigilant, and I always have warnings about that; I won’t give up on the players.”
There will be several records for France to beat on Saturday with Damian Penaud looking to become their sole top try scorer after he equalled Serge Blanco’s record of 38 last weekend.
Fullback Thomas Ramos is six points from Frederic Michalak’s national record of 436 points and explosive winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey needs one try to match the all-time century-old record of eight by a player in a Six Nations competition.
France will also surpass England’s 2001 record of 29 tries in a campaign if they cross the whitewash four times.
Team:
15-Thomas Ramos, 14-Damian Penaud, 13-Gael Fickou, 12-Yoram Moefana, 11-Louis Bielle-Biarrey, 10-Romain Ntamack, 9-Maxime Lucu, 8-Gregory Alldritt (captain), 7-Paul Boudehent, 6-Francois Cros, 5-Mickael Guillard, 4-Thibaud Flament, 3-Uini Atonio, 2-Peato Mauvaka, 1-Jean-Baptiste Gros.
Replacements: 16-Julien Marchand, 17-Cyril Baille, 18-Dorian Aldegheri, 19-Hugo Auradou, 20-Emmanuel Meafou, 21-Oscar Jegou, 22-Anthony Jelonch, 23-Nolann Le Garrec
(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Alex Richardson and Ken Ferris)
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