Tonight's rugby news as France team v Wales sparks questions over duo amid court appeal
Here are the latest rugby headlines on Wednesday, January 29.
France team announcement sparks questions
France's team announcement for the match against Wales was surrounded by an element of controversy after the selection of two players who were accused of rape last year.
Hugo Auradou and Oscar Jegou are both named on the bench, six months after the allegations emerged while on tour in Argentina with the French national side.
READ MORE: Clive Woodward says Wales have one player every rugby fan should watch
READ MORE: Taulupe Faletau removed himself from Wales selection as Gatland makes Jim Botham revelation
The 21-year-olds were arrested two days after making their international debuts in France's victory over the Pumas in Mendoza in July. They were accused of raping a 39-year-old woman in a hotel room in the city but denied any wrongdoing and said the sex was consensual.
A court in Argentina dismissed the charges of aggravated rape last month but the complainant’s lawyer has appealed that decision, with a hearing due in the next two weeks.
France coach Fabien Galthie was quizzed on his selection of the duo on Wednesday but refused to discuss the matter.
"There are questions that we've answered a lot, it's been almost six months that we have answered those questions," Galthie told reporters.
"Today it's the France team announcement, players who deserve to play, who perform well.
"I hear your question but we'll focus on the game against Wales, the Six Nations, and all questions about rugby."
Elsewhere, Antoine Dupont will make his Six Nations return when he leads France in Friday’s tournament opener against Wales.
The star scrum-half missed last year’s Six Nations to concentrate on Olympics preparation with the France sevens squad, and he played a key role in them winning gold on home soil.
Dupont links up with Toulouse colleague Romain Ntamack as his half-back partner, and there is a start for Pau wing Theo Attissogbe.
Attissogbe, who wins his fourth cap, takes over from an injured Damian Penaud, while another injury absentee – lock Thibaud Flament – is replaced by Alexandre Roumat.
Team: Ramos; Attissogbe, Barassi, Moefana, Bielle-Biarrey; Ntamack, Dupont (capt); Gros, Mauvaka, Atonio, Roumat, Meafou, Cros, Boudehent, Alldritt.
Replacements: Marchand, Baille, Colombe, Auradou, Guillard, Jegou, Le Garrec, Guilleton.
Wales will 'attack everything' in Six Nations opener
Josh Adams insists Wales will come out all guns blazing in their Six Nations opener against France in Paris.
Wales are rank outsiders to beat France in Paris for the first time since 2019 with many pundits expecting a heavy defeat. But the 59 times-capped Adams who will form a strong back three alongside Liam Williams and Tom Rogers is quietly confident.
"We are certainly the underdog in this one, there's no denying that," said Adams. "But we've spoken about that mentality of attacking everything.
"No one is really going to give us a chance out there. But internally, we're fairly confident with what we've seen and how we've prepped, which is pleasing as that's not always been the case.
"The talent we have is brilliant. You can see when players in this team play for their clubs, they light it up.
"It's transferring it to this stage and allowing them the freedom to showcase what they can do. That'll be really important."
Warren Gatland has fielded a far more experienced outfit than was available during the autumn, with Adams and full-back Williams bringing a combined 157 caps worth of experience into the starting XV.
And Adams insists this will stand Wales in good stead on Friday night. "It feels like ages since I was last in camp," he said.
"I'm excited to be back involved. There's a couple of us that have come back into the fold. Hopefully that will help us. Just being a different voice in the week, to hear someone else talk other than Jac as captain. We'll try lead where we can but not talk too much.
"Just chip in where we can. The most important thing is we lead with how we play. You can say whatever you want in the week but you've got to back it up on matchday.
"That's the most important thing for the lads coming back in. I'm one of the lucky ones who have been to the Stade de France and won. I've tried to pass on those experiences. The lads have asked what it's like.
"It's about trying to enjoy it as best as you can. When you enjoy it, you relax a bit more and free up your game."
Wales team announcement round-up
Former England prop Henry Thomas will make his first Wales start in Friday’s Guinness Six Nations opener against France.
The ex-Sale and Bath tighthead, who also played French club rugby for Castres and Montpellier, has won four caps as a replacement since switching allegiance to Wales in 2023.
Thomas, whose father is from Swansea, was able to make the move under World Rugby regulations because his last England appearance had been more than three years earlier.
Wales head coach Warren Gatland has also handed a full Test bow to 23-year-old Cardiff hooker Evan Lloyd, who steps up with Dewi Lake and Ryan Elias both injured, against a juggernaut French pack in Paris.
There is no return for 104 times-capped number eight Taulupe Faletau, though, who was named in Gatland’s Six Nations squad.
Faletau has not played Test rugby since Wales’ last win – a 2023 World Cup pool victory over Georgia – after breaking his arm in that game, then suffering a fractured shoulder when he returned for Cardiff six months later.
Gatland has selected a back-row of Aaron Wainwright at number eight alongside James Botham and captain Jac Morgan.
Full-back Liam Williams and wing Josh Adams – with 151 caps between them – also feature, while Saracens centre Nick Tompkins is recalled, partnering Owen Watkin in midfield.
Cardiff’s Ben Thomas fills the fly-half role, uncapped Ospreys number 10 Dan Edwards is on the bench and Exeter lock Dafydd Jenkins makes a first Wales appearance for almost 11 months after undergoing knee and shoulder operations.
Team: L Williams (Saracens); T Rogers (Scarlets), N Tompkins (Saracens), O Watkin (Ospreys), J Adams (Cardiff); B Thomas (Cardiff), T Williams (Gloucester); G Thomas (Ospreys), E Lloyd (Cardiff), H Thomas (Scarlets), W Rowlands (Racing 92), D Jenkins (Exeter), J Botham (Cardiff), J Morgan (Ospreys, capt), A Wainwright (Dragons).
Replacements: E Dee (Dragons), N Smith (Leicester), K Assiratti (Cardiff), F Thomas (Gloucester), T Reffell (Leicester), R Williams (Dragons), D Edwards (Ospreys), B Murray (Scarlets).
Bitter memories driving Scotland against Italy
By Anthony Brown, PA
Matt Fagerson admitted bitter memories of Rome last March would provide Scotland with additional motivation for Saturday’s Guinness Six Nations opener at home to Italy.
The Scots’ hopes of a rare top-two finish in the championship were dashed when they suffered a shock 31-29 defeat to the Azzurri in the Stadio Olimpico on matchday four after losing their way in the second half.
Gregor Townsend’s side are determined to banish that disappointment and get their latest campaign off to a flier when the ever-improving Italians arrive at Murrayfield this weekend.
“You can’t dwell on the past too much and it’s not something that ties in to our emotion that much, but, obviously, it’s in the back of our minds,” said back-rower Fagerson, who came on as a substitute amid his team’s second-half meltdown in the Eternal City.
“Losing out there is something that we were obviously very disappointed with. It derailed our tournament a bit last year.
“I think we sort of deviated from the plan a little bit in the middle third, leading into the end of the game.
“Credit to Italy, they did really well at home last year so hopefully, we’re going to turn it around and do the same at the weekend. The performance is what we’re striving for and that’s been focused and dialled in throughout the whole week.
“We know the challenges ahead of us, but we definitely want to right what happened last year.”
Scotland have not lost their opening match of a Six Nations campaign since 2020 and Fagerson says his team are laser-focused on continuing that trend this weekend.
“It’s a massive test,” he said. “I think the first game, you’ve got to start well and that’s the first focus.
“I think something we’ve taken from the last two or three years is to not look too far ahead and not look at the Six Nations results as a whole.
“Taking it week to week is one of the big focuses for us.
“We’re not looking past the first game. We know the challenge that Italy are going to bring and putting our best physical performance on the pitch to start the Six Nations well.”
