Captain Antoine Dupont heads 11 Toulouse players in a 28-man training squad for the Six Nations opener against Ireland.

Toulouse will be unable to call on Dupont and the likes of Thomas Ramos, Julien Marchand, Anthony Jelonch, Emmanuel Meafou and Peato Mauvaka for this weekend’s Top 14 match against Bayonne as Fabien Galthie prepares the France team for the 5 February home match against the Irish.

Just two players in the squad, reduced from its initial number of 42, are uncapped: Toulon’s Gael Drean and Montpellier’s Lenni Nouchi.

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France squad
Backs: Theo Attissogbe, Louis Bielle-Biarrey, Fabien Brau-Boirie, Thibault Daubagna, Nicolas Depoortere, Gael Drean, Antoine Dupont, Kalvin Gourgues, Matthieu Jalibert, Yoram Moefana, Thomas Ramos, Baptiste Serin.
Forwards: Dorian Aldegheri, Hugo Auradou, Georges-Henri Colombe, Francois Cros, Jean-Baptiste Gros, Mickael Guillard, Oscar Jegou, Anthony Jelonch, Maxime Lamothe, Julien Marchand, Peato Mauvaka, Emmanuel Meafou, Regis Montagne, Rodrigue Neti, Lenni Nouchi, Charles Ollivon.

– AFP

Photo: Federico Pestellini/INPHO