Here's all you need to know about Fabien Galthie's side before the 2025 Six Nations championship begins

France have the potential to win a Grand Slam in the 2025 Six Nations entering the tournament as the bookmaker’s favourite.

If they achieve it, captain Antoine Dupont will no doubt be at the heart of the action. Here’s all you need to know about the team before the tournament begins.

Six Nations History

France’s championship history is one of multiple acts. The 2000-10 period saw five titles and three Grand Slams, while 2011-19 produced zero titles and an embarrassing Wooden Spoon in 2013. Such a rollercoaster of fortunes has helped earn them the reputation of ‘not knowing which France will turn up’.

However, in 2020, things changed. Antoine Dupont was given the keys to the scrum-half jersey. Since then, France have finished in the top two of every championship, adding a fourth Slam in 2022. It also coincided with the appointment of former scrum-half and captain Fabien Galthié as head coach.

The combination of Dupont and Galthié has produced a vintage period in French rugby that would have produced more titles had it not coincided with arguably the greatest team in Ireland’s rugby history.

Form guide

The return of Dupont from his sevens sojourn was enough to inspire France to a flawless Autumn Nations Series. Argentina, Japan and, most notably, New Zealand were dispatched as les Bleus returned to the Stade de France base that they vacated for last year’s Six Nations.

On form, France should be entering this tournament as favourites considering their autumn wins, the success of their club sides in Europe this season and the fact that Ireland face the tournament with a caretaker coach, Simon Easterby, at the helm.

The issue will be those three successive away games in the middle of the championship. More than 60% of games in Six Nations history have been won by the home side, so France have their work cut out.

Key player

The obvious answer here is Antoine Dupont, but we’re going to call out one of his team-mates for club and country, Thomas Ramos. If you watched France in the autumn, or Toulouse in the Top 14 and Champions Cup, you will realise that so much goes through Ramos.

Equally comfortable at fly-half or full-back, he is a prime example of how to play with a ‘second receiver’. The 29-year-old is key to unleashing France’s deadly wingers and the best in the tournament from the kicking tee. 

France

Thomas Ramos diving on a ball (Getty Images)

One to watch

With midfield general Gaël Fickou missing the start of the tournament following a thumb operation, all eyes are on Croydon-born Émilien Gailleton. The 21-year-old Pau centre was the Top 14’s top try-scorer in 2023, debuted for France that year and is earmarked by many as a future star for les Bleus. The opening game against Wales could provide an exciting springboard should Galthié put his faith in Gailleton.

Coach

France coach Fabien Galthie will be hoping to lead France to the Grand Slam (Photo by Aurelien Meunier/Getty Images)

France coach Fabien Galthie will be hoping to lead France to the Grand Slam (Photo by Aurelien Meunier/Getty Images)

This will be Fabien Galthié’s fifth outing as head coach of France, the most of any French boss since Bernard Laporte’s run of eight between 2000 and 2007. While short of Laporte’s four titles and two Slams, Galthié has returned France to their electrifying best. He’s not to everyone’s liking.

With Romain Ntamack sidelined by a calf injury last autumn, fly-half Matthieu Jalibert quit the squad in anger at not being selected. As for the back room, things are steady following a reshuffling of the coaching set-up in 2024.

Read more: All you need to know about the French Six Nations squad

Shaun Edwards remains in charge of defence while the forwards are the domain of William Servat. Laurent Sempéré is lineout guru, ex-Perpignan boss Patrick Arlettaz will run the attack, and Nicolas Jeanjean is head of performance. French fans will hope this stability in the coaching positions will result in consistency on the pitch.

Prediction

The words ‘Grand Slam’ are on the tip of our tongue. Go to Twickenham and the Aviva, win at both and there is nothing stopping them from winning a record-breaking fifth Slam in the Six Nations era. Easy as that!

France’s odds to win the tournament are 9-4.

How to watch France in the Six Nations

Uk-based fans will be able to watch France host Wales in the opening game of the 2025 Guinness Men’s Six Nation on ITV and ITVX.

For more information on how to tune in, kick-off times and viewing information for international fans, see our full guide here.

France’s Six Nations record

2024: Second

2023: Second

2022: First

2021: Second

2020: Second

France’s Six Nations fixtures

Related: How to watch Six Nations

Friday 31 January 2025

France v Wales, Stade de France, 20:15 GMT

Saturday 8 February 2025

England v France, Allianz Stadium, 16:45 GMT

Sunday 23 February 2025

Italy v France, Stadio Olimpico, 15:00 GMT

Saturday 8 March 2025

Ireland v France, Aviva Stadium, 14:15 GMT

Saturday 15 March 2025

France v Scotland, Stade de France, 20:00 GMT

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