6N: France applying safety-first buildup for Italy opener

France’s playing philosophy under coach Fabien Galthie is to embrace taking risks.

Off the field it is a different story, though, with preparations for the Six Nations opener against Italy on Saturday in Rome being performed in the most strict and risk-free way possible amid ongoing coronavirus concerns.

It took rigorous safety protocols by France and Six Nations organizers to persuade the French sports minister to waive quarantine rules and allow the team to play amid a closed border, night curfews, and fears over a third national lockdown.

France is keeping the same 31-man squad for the whole tournament in an eight-week bubble that will be broken only for injuries. It means injured star backs Romain Ntamack and Virimi Vakatawa are on the outer.

“The health protocol seems quite heavy," team manager Raphael Ibanez says. “But you have to understand that it’s also a real privilege for us to be able to prepare for such a mythical tournament, given the context.

“We’re living in an ultra-strict health bubble. We privatized the hotel, the hotel’s staff are regularly tested. Everyone around the France team is tested (every three days), the weights room is disinfected after the players have been in.”

While on a team boat trip from their camp in the southern city of Nice, the French players talked more about staying safe than facing the Italians. One positive test for the virus could jeopardize the entire squad, though Six Nations organizers have said they prefer to reschedule games rather than cancel any.

“We all know that it's important to be careful," lock Baptiste Pesenti says. “We’re all conscious of how lucky we are to be together."

As for the game itself in an empty Stadio Olimpico, a French team shorn of two of its standout backs should still be far too strong for Italy.

Italy has lost every game for five consecutive Six Nations. Its last victory was six years ago in Scotland, and its last home win was eight years ago, when it beat Ireland and France.

Italy's starting XV totals only 134 caps, less than the great Sergio Parisse earned on his own. Only four players, all in the forwards, have double-figure caps. There's a debut for Argentina-born center Juan Ignacio Brex, one of 10 Benetton players starting.

“We are following our development plan to continue introducing a new generation,” coach Franco Smith says.

Galthie has also been refurbishing France with new talent for the past year, and it netted him second place in the Six Nations and Autumn Nations Cup, both times by a hair.

In place of Ntamack and Vakatawa will be 22-year-old Matthieu Jalibert at flyhalf and 21-year-old Arthur Vincent at center.

Jalibert was outstanding when he was pitched into the Autumn Nations Cup final lost in extra time, and Vincent started every match in his first Six Nations. This time, he has the mercurial Gael Fickou inside him.

“Of course (Vakatawa) will be a big loss for us, he's our X-factor who can make the difference,” Fickou says. "But you have to learn to adapt and that is a strength of this French team, at every position we have six good players who can step in and make up for the absence of Virimi. Younger than Virimi as well.”

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Lineups:

Italy: Jacopo Trulla, Luca Sperandio, Marco Zanon, Juan Ignacio Brex, Montanna Ioane, Paolo Garbisi, Stephen Varney; Michele Lamaro, Johan Meyer, Sebastian Negri, David Sisi, Marco Lazzaroni, Marco Riccioni, Luca Bigi (captain), Cherif Traorè. Reserves: Gianmarco Lucchesi, Danilo Fischetti, Giosuè Zilocchi, Niccolò Cannone, Federico Ruzza, Maxime Mbandà, Guglielmo Palazzani, Carlo Canna.

France: Brice Dulin, Teddy Thomas, Arthur Vincent, Gael Fickou, Gabin Villiere, Matthieu Jalibert, Antoine Dupont; Gregory Alldritt, Charles Ollivon (captain), Dylan Cretin, Paul Willemse, Bernard Le Roux, Mohamed Haouas, Julien Marchand, Cyril Baille. Reserves: Pierre Bourgarit, Jean-Baptiste Gros, Dorian Aldegheri, Romain Taofifenua, Anthony Jelonch, Baptiste Serin, Louis Carbonel, Damian Penaud.