France report good news on Antoine Dupont and Romain Ntamack before Six Nations

Ed Elliot, PA
·2 min read

France head coach Fabien Galthie says star men Antoine Dupont and Romain Ntamack ā€œare doing wellā€ after each testing positive for coronavirus.

Les Bleusā€™ preparation for the Guinness Six Nations has been severely disrupted by a host of withdrawals from Galthieā€™s 42-man squad.

In addition to world player of the year Dupont and fly-half Ntamack, Francois Cros, Gaetan Barlot, Anthony Jelonch, Cyril Baille, Bernard Le Roux and Pierre Bourgarit were also removed due to Covid-19.

Romain Ntamack is among a number of France players to test positive for Covid-19
Romain Ntamack is among a number of France players to test positive for Covid-19 (PA)

ā€œWe keep in touch with all the players from afar, of course,ā€ said Galthie, whose side begin the championship at home to Italy on February 6.

ā€œWe have good news concerning the players and their state of health and spirit and all are doing well.ā€

Toulouse scrum-half Dupont has not played since December 11 due to a combination of postponements, fatigue and injury.

The 25-year-old could be involved in his clubā€™s game at home to Racing 92 on Saturday as he seeks to regain sharpness ahead of a likely return to international duty.

Speaking specifically about Dupont, Galthie ā€“ who expects to give further updates on his squad next week ā€“ said: ā€œI have spoken to him: he is doing well. He resumed training two weeks ago.

ā€œHe wanted to play against Cardiff but the match did not go ahead. Then of course he tested positive for Covid. But he is fine, and is still training.

ā€œToday he had a test at his club and depending on the results he will play or not for Toulouse this weekend.

ā€œThat is up to his head coach Ugo Mola and I have confidence in him he will take the right decision both for his team and for Antoine.ā€

France head coach Fabien Galthie suffered a raft of withdrawals from his squad for the Six Nations
France head coach Fabien Galthie suffered a raft of withdrawals from his squad for the Six Nations (David Davies/PA)

France are also without Cameron Woki, Anthony Bouthier and Uini Atonio because of injury.

Despite the disruption, Les Bleus are tournament favourites with a number of bookmakers on the back of winning each of their three autumn matches, including beating New Zealand.

ā€œI am very happy with this compliment, weā€™re very happy and proud to be labelled as favourites,ā€ said Galthie.

ā€œWe are very happy to hear all those positive comments.

ā€œItā€™s very rewarding, itā€™s rewarding for our two-year work, itā€™s rewarding for all the commitment of the players, the virtues of the team and their dedication on the pitch.ā€

Latest Stories

  • Deputy stands trial after SC women drowned in police van

    A deputy charged in the deaths of two women who drowned in a locked police van in 2018 ignored barricades and drove into rapidly rising floodwaters against advice from his supervisors and officials on the South Carolina highway, a prosecutor said Monday. Former Horry County deputy Stephen Flood is on trial on two counts of involuntary manslaughter and reckless homicide for the drownings of the women he was taking to mental health facilities under a court order as rain from Hurricane Florence inundated eastern South Carolina.

  • Search for driver of van involved in crash that killed 9-year-old ongoing after vehicle found

    The fatal crash involving a white transit van and a motorcycle happened Saturday evening between Lawrence and Eudora.

  • Twitter defends anti-bot efforts, Musk replies with poo emoji

    Twitter's chief on Monday defended the messaging platform's battle against "bots" that aspiring buyer Elon Musk says vex the platform, only to have the billionaire respond with a poo emoji.

  • Conrad Industries Announces First Quarter 2022 Results and Backlog

    Conrad Industries, Inc. (OTC Pink: CNRD) announced today its first quarter 2022 results.

  • How to Watch Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee Events

    Here's how to watch the major Platinum Jubilee events, including the Royal Windsor Horse Show and Trooping the Colour, Queen Elizabeth's birthday parade.

  • Biden administration expands flights to Cuba, lifts remittance limits

    The Biden administration announced Monday that it will expand flights to Cuba and lift Donald Trump-era restrictions on remittances that immigrants can send to people on the island.

  • Calgary Fintech Award Launches With a $250,0000 Cash Prize for Fintech Startups

    CALGARY, Alberta, May 16, 2022--Digital Commerce Bank (DCBank) and Platform Calgary have announced the launch of the Calgary Fintech Award - western Canadaā€™s first major fintech award. It includes a programming component to help founders advance their business, as well as the chance to win up to $250,000 in non-dilutive cash. The Calgary Fintech Award will support fintech startups intending to grow their business in the Calgary region. Startups can apply for the inaugural award at calgaryfintech

  • Mexican avocado farmers seek U.S asylum after threats -migrants group

    A large Mexican family crossed into the United States on Sunday seeking asylum after threats from suspected criminals forced them to flee their avocado farm, a migrants group said on Monday, underscoring how lawlessness in Mexico pushes many to leave. Migrant advocacy group Al Otro Lado reported that 32 members of the PeƱa family fled their homes in western Michoacan state seven months after receiving violent threats from unspecified cartel members. They left the Mexican border city of Tijuana on Sunday night, hoping to eventually reunite with family already in the United States, the group added.

  • NCAA president Mark Emmert pockets more in 2020 despite pay cut during pandemic

    Mark Emmertā€™s escalation in pay resulted from a raise called for under his contract that ended up being reduced but not negated by the pandemic cuts.

  • Biz2Italy: a book explains to foreign investors and entrepreneurs how to manage business relations with Italy

    With its strategic position between Europe and the Mediterranean Sea and its modern and competitive economy, Italy is seen as an ideal country to expand a business from abroad. Italian excellences in lifestyle, fashion, and agribusiness are attractive to foreign companies. However, foreign companies wishing to capitalize on these advantages must be prepared to deal with a complicated regulatory environment that can lack the transparency, clarity, and efficiency offered by other advanced world ec

  • Shareholders in Adbri (ASX:ABC) are in the red if they invested five years ago

    Ideally, your overall portfolio should beat the market average. But in any portfolio, there will be mixed results...

  • Johnny Depp, Amber Heard libel trial: Everything that's happened so far, including Heard on the stand

    Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's legal battle continues as the divorced movie stars face off in court in a libel case. Follow along here for updates.

  • Gas prices hit record high for seventh straight day, AAA reports

    For the seventh straight day, gas prices hit a record high. AAA reports the national average for a gallon of regular unleaded reached an all-time high of $4.48 Monday. Thatā€™s a penny more than yesterday.

  • Elise Stefanik Denies Promoting 'Great Replacement,' But Amps Up Rhetoric Anyway

    The congresswoman condemned those who suggested she promoted the same ā€œgreat replacementā€ message behind Saturday's shooting in Buffalo.

  • Musk hints at paying less for Twitter than his $44B offer

    Tesla CEO Elon Musk gave the strongest hint yet Monday that he would like to pay less for Twitter than his $44 billion offer made last month. Musk told a Miami technology conference that a viable deal at a lower price would not be out of the question, according to a report by Bloomberg News, which said it viewed a livestream video of the conference posted by a Twitter user. Also at the All In Summit, Musk estimated that at least 20% of Twitter's 229 million accounts are spam bots, percentage he said was at the low end of his assessment, according to the report.

  • Judge Strikes Down California Law Mandating Women on Boards

    The ruling, which found the 2018 law violated the state constitutionā€™s equal protection clause, marked the second legal setback in as many months for efforts to mandate board diversity.

  • McCormick, Evans lead crowded 6th District GOP primary

    May 16ā€”WOODSTOCK ā€” Emergency room physician Rich McCormick doesn't usually walk around with a gun on his hip, he told the crowd last month at Semper Fi Bar and Grille. "My mom always said, 'don't try to scare people,'" he said. "But today, I'm going straight from here to a shooting event with the Tea Party, and that's how I got my start in politics." McCormick, one of nine candidates running ...

  • Artisan Custom Closets named Cobb Chamber's Small Business of the Year

    May 16ā€”CUMBERLAND ā€” Artisan Custom Closets, a Marietta-based closet contracting company founded in 2011, was named the Cobb Chamber's 2022 Small Business of the Year at its monthly Marquee Monday event. The company was chosen as the top business from a list of 25 finalists across the county. Artisan Custom Closets designs, manufactures and installs custom storage solutions in residential homes ...

  • FDA, Abbott agree on plan to resume production of infant formula at Michigan plant

    The Food and Drug Administration and Abbott Nutrition have agreed on a plan to resume operations at its infant formula facility in Sturgis, Michigan, the two announced on Monday. According to Abbott, the agreement with the FDA lays out "the steps necessary to resume production and maintain the facilityā€ but remains subject to court approval. Abbott said that once the FDA gives it the official green light, it could restart operations at the site within two weeks and that it would take six to eight weeks after that before the product is back on shelves.

  • Longtime symphony flutist Christina Smith receives the gift of music at Lassiter High

    May 16ā€”EAST COBB ā€” The Carmen Fantasy for solo flute is, as Cobb Wind Symphony conductor Alfred Watkins calls it, "a spine-tingling 11-minute work." All the more so when the centerpiece flute part is held down by a master of the instrument, as it was Sunday afternoon in the magisterial Lassiter High School concert hall by Christina Smith. A 31-year veteran of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra ...