France Rugby Faces Fiji in Lyon Amid Historic Return of Dupont-Ntamack Half-Back Pairing

Groupama Stadium in the French city of Lyon hosted an exciting clash on Saturday evening between the French national rugby union team (XV de France) and the Fiji national team, as the Autumn Nations Series action returned in chilly conditions of 6 to 7 degrees Celsius, before a large crowd and with no wind factor, officiated by English referee Karl Dickson.

Anticipated Return of Dupont-Ntamack Duo and Milestone Records

The match witnessed a notable milestone as the French team reunited its playmaking half-back partnership of Antoine Dupont and Romain Ntamack for the first time in 609 days (nearly a year and eight months) since their last outing together in the blue jersey. This marked their 30th joint international appearance since their debut pairing in February 2019 against Scotland, holding an impressive record of 24 victories against just 5 defeats. With this cap, Romain Ntamack also equaled his father, Émile Ntamack, by earning his 46th international cap with Les Bleus.

Top 14 Influence and Star Presence

The Fijian lineup featured 11 players competing across various levels of French professional rugby, representing top clubs including Lyon, Bayonne, Racing 92, Clermont, and Bordeaux-Bègles. Among the standout figures for Fiji was Lyon winger Jiuta Wainiqolo, who shone on his home ground, while Fiji's coach was forced into an adjustment by deploying Castres player Vilimoni Botitu at fly-half following the absence of Ravitu.

Complicated Start and Fierce Defensive Pressure

Despite high expectations surrounding head coach Fabien Galthié's squad, the opening stages saw technical errors from the French side, beginning with a direct mistake on the restart kick from Ntamack, alongside repeated forward handling errors under intense Fijian defensive pressure and heavy tackles from players like Salawa. Conversely, the Fijian team also committed errors in sensitive areas, notably repeated lineout throw infringements by Ikanivere, before the French gradually sought to impose their rhythm and organize their lines through the flanks and direct pressure.