Jan 26 (Reuters) - France have no choice but to be ready when they kick off their Six Nations title defence next week against Ireland in Paris, their captain Antoine Dupont said on Monday.
"My focus is to be the best for my team and best prepared for the first game. It will be very special and we have to be ready for this first game," Dupont said at the Six Nations launch on Monday. "Obviously, we are very excited to play this first game at home."
France will face Ireland on a Thursday evening, to avoid clashing with the Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony on February 6.
Les Bleus claimed last year's championship despite talismanic scrumhalf Dupont suffering a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament during the penultimate match. The 2020, 2022, and 2023 player of the tournament missed the end of last year’s autumn programme and resumed playing for Toulouse in November.
"It's special for me, I didn't wear the French jersey for almost a year," he said. "It's a magical tournament, it's still the same feeling each time we play this kind of games."
Dupont will need all his leadership qualities on the field, because as France coach Fabien Galthie left out of the squad centre Gael Fickou, winger Damian Penaud and former captain Gregory Alldritt, who have 215 international caps between them.
"I think as a scrumhalf, I already have this kind of role in the team, I have to be a leader," the 2021 World Rugby Men’s 15s Player of the Year said. "I'm well surrounded in the team by other experienced players that help me a lot."
(Reporting by Vincent Daheron, editing by Ed Osmond)
