Six Nations 2026: preview, predictions and how to watch

France won the Six Nations last year, with their only defeat coming to England at Allianz Stadium.

Captain Antoine Dupont tore cruciate ligaments in his knee in the fourth round against Ireland but Fabien Galthie’s side crossed the line without a spell.

The rugby player is back and will want to remind the rugby world what he can do on the biggest stage, but they are without the support of Owiny Atunio, who was forced to retire due to a heart problem.

“I tried to get a lot of the injury out of the way and spend it with my family and friends, so I could do other things and come back more mentally active,” Dupont told BBC Radio 5 Live.

Galthie showed that no player is safe in his squad by leaving out France’s all-time top scorer Damien Benaud, number eight Gregory Alldret and veteran midfielder Gael Fico.

Will this bold call come to fruition? The fixtures could help boost their chances, as matches against Ireland and England at home mean France have a strong chance of retaining their title.

“France have threats everywhere. What they are different from any other team in the Six Nations is the fact that if they lose five of their best players, it doesn’t matter,” La Rochelle coach Ronan O’Gara told BBC Sport.

“France has a mentality that there are very few players in certain positions, except for DuPont,” he added.