Backs Damian Penaud and Matthieu Jalibert were axed from France's team to play Italy on Sunday in the Six Nations, paying the price for poor performances against England. The decision by coach Fabien Galthié on Friday came after Les Tricolores made sloppy handling errors and missed tackles in a 26-25 loss at Twickenham two weeks ago.

Stadio Olimpico Date: Sunday, 23 February Kick-off: 15:00 GMTCoverage: Text commentary and highlights on BBC Sport website and app; watch live on ITV1; watch highlights on BBC Two from 1800 GMT.France team newsHead coach Fabien Galthie has made sweeping changes to his 23-man squad following his side's 26-25 defeat by England last time out.

The third summit match for Les Bleus: the French national team takes on Italy this Sunday, February 23, 2025. For this match of the Six Nations Tournament, you'll have to win to try to win the tournament!

The decision came after Les Tricolores made sloppy handling errors and missed tackles in a 26-25 loss at Twickenham two weeks ago as Galthie also opts for a Springboks-style 7-1 split on the bench