Damian Penaud, France's all-time leading try-scorer, has been left out of the defending champions' Six Nations squad by coach Fabien Galthié. The 29-year-old wing, who scored 40 tries in 59 caps, started all three autumn internationals but has seen his strike-rate dip this season. His recent defensive struggles, including a missed kick against Northampton's Henry Pollock, were cited as a factor in his omission.

Galthié's selection is a bold statement ahead of a crucial opening match against Ireland on February 5. Penaud is joined by other high-profile absentees like captain Gregory Alldritt and veteran centre Gaël Fickou. The coach is instead backing a wave of youth, with 11 of the 17 backs named having 10 caps or fewer, including Olympic sevens gold medallist Aaron Grandidier-Nkanang.

With Romain Ntamack injured, Mathieu Jalibert is favored to start at fly-half. Talismanic scrum-half Antoine Dupont is set for his return from a knee ligament injury. Penaud, Alldritt, and Fickou could still be called up during the tournament, but Galthié's squad signals a clear shift as France aims to reclaim the title from Ireland.