Leaked France team to face England reveals three changes to starting XV

Wednesday, 11 March 2026 at 14:00

byCharlie Elliott

France’s starting XV for this weekend’s clash with England may have been inadvertently revealed after several players were seen training in white bibs at Marcoussis, which are typically used to identify the starting lineup.

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Les Bleus head into the Paris showdown needing a victory, and potentially a bonus point, to keep their Six Nations title hopes alive following last week’s 50–40 defeat to Scotland at Murrayfield.

The winner of Ireland versus Scotland in Dublin will move ahead of France before the final round, but the title race still remains in French hands.

One notable change could see Toulouse centre Pierre-Louis Barassi earn his first start of the 2026 Six Nations. He is expected to replace Nicolas Depoortère, who suffered a shoulder injury during the loss to Scotland.

Elsewhere, the only other changes from the side beaten in Edinburgh appear to come in the second row, with Toulouse pair Thibaud Flament and Emmanuel Meafou set to return. Both were among those wearing the white bibs during this morning’s training session in light rain at Marcoussis.

Oscar Jegou’s situation also adds uncertainty. The La Rochelle flanker is awaiting the outcome of an appeal relating to an alleged eye gouge on Ewan Ashman during Saturday’s match.

Although he has not yet been officially suspended and is due to appear before the Six Nations disciplinary committee via video conference this afternoon, it seems unlikely that head coach Fabien Galthié will risk selecting him.

During training, Charles Ollivon was seen wearing the No. 8 jersey, with Anthony Jelonch shifting to the No. 7 role that Jegou has filled throughout the tournament.

In the backline, Depoortère’s injury looks set to open the door for Barassi in an otherwise unchanged setup. The half-back pairing of Antoine Dupont and Matthieu Jalibert is expected to continue, while Louis Bielle-Biarrey, Théo Attissogbe and Thomas Ramos form the back three. Yoram Moefana is likely to start at inside centre.

Beyond the injury enforced changes and the return of Flament and Meafou, who also started in the win over Italy, Galthié appears set to keep faith with the rest of his lineup.

On the bench, France are again expected to opt for a 6-2 split, with Pau’s Emilien Gailleton the frontrunner to provide cover across both the centre and wing positions.

France’s team to face England at the Stade de France will be officially confirmed by Fabien Galthié on Thursday at 11:00am local time.