Union Bordeaux-Bègles wing Damian Penaud, 29 and with 59 caps, could be among the notable absentees from this first get-together, according to information from our colleagues at L’Equipe. France’s all-time leading try-scorer with 40, Penaud is coming off mixed performances with his club, defensively in particular. We all remember his two recent foot races lost on his wing against Henry Pollock… the Northampton and England number 8.

Speaking of number 8s, Grégory Alldritt, already left out in November by Fabien Galthié, is not expected to appear on the list of 42 either. A victim of Stade Rochelais’ disappointing performances? Bordeaux’s Temu Matiu, who has moved up a level this season, should benefit.

Fabien Galthié had already given him a kind of wake-up call, a warning, but Penaud has apparently not met the expectations of the France coaching staff. Unless this is a new way of needling the player to bring him back even better during the Six Nations. Toulouse’s Dréan and Ferté could benefit, as could Pau’s Attissogbe and Mathis Lebel, back to his best in recent days.

Another long-serving name potentially missing from the list: Gaël Fickou, 31, 98 caps. Captain on the summer tour of New Zealand and a senior figure in the Racing 92 dressing room, has the Île-de-France native fallen out of Galthié’s plans, or is he simply going through a temporary dip? His absence would be an event in itself, Fickou having taken part in every Six Nations since… 2013.

Competition and poor form

The Bordeaux centre pairing of Moefana and Deporterre, sparkling for their club, are in pole position and offer plenty of certainties. The same goes for Toulouse’s Kalvin Gourgues, whose explosive cameo against Australia in November, along with his performances and versatility at club level, appear to have justified the expectations placed in him. Paris’s Néné could also feature on this first list, from which Romain Ntamack, with a back injury, is certain to be missing.

Bold calls at a time when Dupont’s France, with the scrum-half himself making his big return to the squad, have a title to defend. The precise reasons for those choices will be spelled out tomorrow, Wednesday 21 January, by the France coaching staff, when the list of 42 is officially announced. A desire to refresh the group? Priority to current form? To try out new options, or to manage the balance between experience and potential?