PARIS — France’s rugby coach, Fabien Galthié, made significant changes to the squad ahead of their Six Nations match against Italy on Sunday, opting to drop backs Damian Penaud and Matthieu Jalibert due to their subpar performances during the recent loss to England.

The decision follows a disappointing showing by Les Tricolores, who struggled with handling errors and missed critical tackles in their narrow 26-25 defeat at Twickenham two weeks ago. Despite demonstrating dominance in several periods of the game, France was unable to secure the victory, ultimately losing after England scored a last-minute converted try.

This marks another setback for Jalibert, who had been brought back into the squad by Galthié after previously leaving the team in mid-November due to being omitted from a match against New Zealand. Unfortunately, he turned in a lackluster performance against England, particularly in tackling, which contributed to his exclusion from the upcoming game. Penaud, who boasts an impressive record of 37 international tries in just 54 tests, also faced criticism for his defensive efforts in the same match, despite being a strong contender for the tournament’s leading try-scorer.

With Romain Ntamack still out due to a suspension stemming from a reckless red card received during a heavy defeat against Wales three weeks prior, fullback Thomas Ramos will take on the flyhalf position, joining captain and scrumhalf Antoine Dupont.

Penaud, who was sidelined during the Wales match due to a toe injury, has been replaced by the younger winger Théo Attissogbe, who has four caps to his name. Additionally, Léo Barré will take the field as a starting fullback, marking his seventh appearance for the national team. This lineup shuffle reflects the coach’s response to the mounting pressure as the team looks to improve their performance and regain momentum in the tournament.