Six Nations Tournament: Matthieu Jalibert and Damian Penaud set to start against England

Matthieu Jalibert et Damian Penaud devraient faire leur entrée dans le XV de départ contre l’Angleterre. MAXPPP – NICOLAS GOISQUE

Fly-half Matthieu Jalibert and winger Damian Penaud trained with the starting team on Wednesday in Marcoussis, on the eve of the announcement of the French XV team line-up against England.

Like on Monday, Matthieu Jalibert wore the number 10 during the training session open to the press and the public, forming the hinge with Antoine Dupont. He is taking advantage of Romain Ntamack's suspension after his expulsion during the demonstration against Wales (43-0).

The Toulouse player was heard Wednesday morning by the Tournament's disciplinary committee and his sanction should be known during the day, but the player already knows that he will not be able to participate in the second day of the competition.

“We have Matthieu, who has always played the game with the French team, who is coming back with us, who has performed well with the French team […] He can bring what he brings to his club: speed, serenity”, explained assistant coach William Servat at a press conference on Monday, while saying that “the choice has not yet been made”.

The time to seize his luck

The UBB player, who has performed very well with his club, has only played 30 minutes since the last Tournament with the Blues, against Japan in November, a rather unsuccessful start.

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Demoted in the hierarchy in the eyes of the staff, his starting position is also made possible by the absence of a sufficiently strong solution in Galthié's eyes to replace the versatile Thomas Ramos at the back, with the injuries of Romain Buros and Léo Barré.

Penaud finally back

The only other change in the starting XV of the Blues should be the return to the wing of Damian Penaud. The UBB winger missed all three matches of the November tour due to pneumonia and then the one against Wales, this time with a toe injury.

He takes the place of Pau's Théo Attissogbe, who played a perfect interim role with two tries against the Welsh. Second best try scorer for the French XV with 36 goals, Damian Penaud is only two lengths behind Serge Blanco's record.

During his last match with his club, he scored six goals in the European Cup, and will form the back triangle with Louis Bielle-Biarrey and Ramos, with Moefana and Barassi once again partnering in the centre.

The same and we recommence

After training away from the group on Monday to preserve a calf, third-row Paul Boudehent has found his place again, alongside Cros and Alldritt.

The bench should be unchanged from Wales, according to the rotations seen in training on Wednesday.

Bayonnais Tevita Tatafu, finally back from his injury sustained against New Zealand in November, was expected to be Uini Atonio's backup, but he did not take part in training on Wednesday. La Rochelle's Georges-Henri Colombe should therefore once again be on the bench.

In the absence of Thibaud Flament, Alexandre Roumat should make a second start in goal, with Hugo Auradou as a replacement, unless Toulouse's Joshua Brennan overtakes him.

Third-row Oscar Jegou should keep his place on the bench for Les Bleus. The appeal hearing on the decision to dismiss the charges against Auradou and Jegou following accusations of rape during the tour in Argentina is scheduled to take place on 10 and 11 February, two days after the match.

On the back lines, scrum-half Nolan Le Garrec should once again be preferred to Maxime Lucu as Dupont's replacement.

Fabien Galthié will announce his team line-up against the English on Thursday at 11am. The match kicks off at 5:45pm on Saturday at Twickenham.

The probable line-up against the English: Ramos – Penaud, Barassi, Moefana, Bielle-Biarrey – (o) Jalibert, (m) Dupont (cap.) – Boudehent, Alldritt, Cros – Meafou, Roumat – Atonio, Mauvaka, Gros