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The 2019 Six Nations is less than a month away and the squads are rolling in for the Northern Hemisphere's showpiece tournament.
France and Wales will kick off the tournament in Paris on Saturday February 2 (AEDT), and there are plenty of exciting matches among that opening weekend.
FRANCE
Paul Willemse is in France's Six Nations squad. Photo: AFP
South Africa-born Paul Willemse was one of five uncapped players named by Jacques Brunel Wednesday in the France squad for the two opening matches of the Six Nations.
Ex-Bulls lock Willemse, 26, qualifies for his adoptive country on residency grounds having spent more than three years with Top 14 clubs Montpellier and Grenoble.
The Pretoria native received his citizenship in November after French Rugby Federation president Bernard Laporte said in December 2016 that possession of a French passport was a requirement for inclusion in the national team.
Fijian-born winger Alivereti Raka, who also received his French nationality in November, has impressed for more than four years at Clermont but is not included due to a hand injury.
The other new faces are Toulouse's Romain Ntamack, utility back Thomas Ramos and prop Dorian Aldegheri as well as La Rochelle second-row Gregory Alldritt.
Ntamack, a world U20s champion last year, is the son of former international Emile who won 46 caps between 1994-2000 for Les Bleus.
Clermont's experienced pair of Morgan Parra and Wesley Fofana return to the squad after missing the November Tests series through injuries.
Winger Teddy Thomas, second-row Yoann Maestri and back-rower Mathieu Babillot are also not included due to injuries.
Brunel's side, which suffered defeats by the Springboks and for the first time Fiji but beat Argentina in November, kick off their 2019 Six Nations campaign at home against Wales on February 1. Les Bleus then take on England at Twickenham on February 10.
SQUAD
Forwards
Dorian Aldegheri, Gregory Alldritt, Uini Atonio, Demba Bamba, Pierre Bourgarit, Yacouba Camara, Guilhem Guirado (capt), Arthur Iturria, Felix Lambey, Wenceslas Lauret, Bernard Le Roux, Julien Marchand, Louis Picamoles, Jefferson Poirot, Dany Priso, Sebastien Vahaamahina, Paul Willemse
Backs
Mathieu Bastareaud, Anthony Belleau, Geoffrey Doumayrou, Antoine Dupont, Gael Fickou, Wesley Fofana, Yoann Huget, Camille Lopez, Maxime Medard, Romain Ntamack, Morgan Parra, Damian Penaud, Thomas Ramos, Baptiste Serin
FIXTURES
France vs Wales, Stade de France, Friday February 1, 9pm local, Saturday 7am AEDT
England vs France, Twickenham, Sunday February 10, 3pm local, Monday 2am AEDT
France vs Scotland, Stade de France, Saturday February 23, 3:15pm local, Sunday 1:15am AEDT
Ireland vs France, Aviva Stadium, Sunday March 10, 3pm local, Monday 2am AEDT
Italy vs France, Stadio Olimpico, Saturday March 16, 1:30pm local, 11:30pm AEDT
ITALY
Former England U20s backrower David Sisi has been named in Italy's Six Nations squad. Photo: AFP
Former England Under-20 back-row David Sisi could earn his first cap for Italy after being called up in coach Conor O'Shea's 31-man preliminary training squad for the Six Nations on Wednesday.
Germany-born Sisi, 25, who moved from English club Bath to Italian Pro 14 side Zebre in 2017, made 14 appearances for England's youth side between 2012 and 2013.
O'Shea's group are dominated by Benetton Treviso players with 18 members from the Italian franchise, another ten from rivals Zebre and three based with French or English clubs.
The Italians are on a run of a record 17 straight Six Nations defeats with their last win in the tournament against Scotland in Murrayfield in 2015.
But Irishman O'Shea, who took over in March 2016, refuses to be bowed despite coming off a bruising 66-3 defeat in their last match against New Zealand in November.
"We know the challenge that awaits us, we have to be more competitive and work even harder to make sure the key moments of these games go the way we want," said the former Ireland and Leinster player.
"We've played and beat teams like Fiji, Japan and Georgia in the last 18 months, but we haven't managed to get a win against the top teams to give us more confidence to move a new step forward.
"We're working and will continue to do so and to play with the ambition to achieve all the goals we have set ourselves for Italian rugby."
Veteran captain Sergio Parisse -- capped 134 times -- returns after missing the November Tests through injury.
Zebre trio Johan Meyer, George Biagi and Oliviero Fabiani are not yet available because of club duty against the Cheetahs in South Africa on January 26, nor is 34-time international wing Leonardo Sarto after only joining English Premiership club Leicester Tigers in December.
The 31-man squad will attend a training camp in Rome from January 20-23.
Italy open their Six Nations campaign against Scotland in Murrayfield on February 2 before hosting Wales in Rome a week later.
SQUAD
Forwards
Simone Ferrari, Andrea Lovotti, Tiziano Pasquali, Cherif Traore, Giosue Zilocchi, Luca Bigi, Leonardo Ghiraldini, Dean Budd, Federico Ruzza, David Sisi, Alessandro Zanni, Marco Barbini, Maxime Mbanda, Sebastian Negri, Sergio Parisse (capt), Braam Steyn, Jimmy Tuivaiti
Backs
Guglielmo Palazzani, Tito Tebaldi, Tommaso Allan, Carlo Canna, Ian McKinley, Giulio Bisegni, Michele Campagnaro, Tommaso Castello, Luca Morisi, Tommaso Benvenuti, Angelo Esposito, Jayden Hayward, Edoardo Padovani, Luca Sperandio
FIXTURES
Scotland vs Italy, Murrayfield, Saturday February 2, 2:15pm local, Sunday 1:15am AEDT
Italy vs Wales, Stadio Olimpico, Saturday February 9, 5:45pm local, Sunday 3:45am AEDT
Italy vs Ireland, Stadio Olimpico, Sunday February 24, 4pm local, Monday 2am AEDT
England vs Italy, Twickenham, Saturday March 9, 4:45pm local, Sunday 3:45am AEDT
Italy vs France, Stadio Olimpico, Saturday March 16, 1:30pm local, 11:30pm AEDT
ENGLAND
SQUAD
England will announce their squad on Thursday January 17.
FIXTURES
Ireland vs England, Aviva Stadium, Saturday February 2, 4;45pm local, Sunday 3:45am AEDT
England vs France, Twickenham, Sunday February 10, 3pm local, Monday 2am AEDT
Wales vs England, Principality Stadium, Saturday February 23, 4:45pm local, Sunday 3:45am AEDT
England vs Italy, Twickenham, Saturday March 9, 4:45pm local, Sunday 3:45am AEDT
England vs Scotland, Twickenham, Saturday March 16, 5pm local, Sunday 4am AEDT
WALES
SQUAD
TBC
FIXTURES
France vs Wales, Stade de France, Friday February 1, 9pm local, Saturday 7am AEDT
Italy vs Wales, Stadio Olimpico, Saturday February 9, 5:45pm local, Sunday 3:45am AEDT
Wales vs England, Principality Stadium, Saturday February 23, 4:45pm local, Sunday 3:45am AEDT
Scotland vs Wales, Murrayfield, Saturday March 9, 2;15pm local, Sunday 1:15am AEDT
Wales vs Ireland, Principality Stadium, Saturday March 16, 2:45pm local, Sunday 1:45am AEDT
SCOTLAND
SQUAD
TBC
FIXTURES
Scotland vs Italy, Murrayfield, Saturday February 2, 2:15pm local, Sunday 1:15am AEDT
Scotland vs Ireland, Murrayfield, Saturday February 9, 2:15pm local, Sunday 1:15am AEDT
France vs Scotland, Stade de France, Saturday February 23, 3:15pm local, Sunday 1:15am AEDT
Scotland vs Wales, Murrayfield, Saturday March 9, 2;15pm local, Sunday 1:15am AEDT
England vs Scotland, Twickenham, Saturday March 16, 5pm local, Sunday 4am AEDT
IRELAND
SQUAD
TBC
FIXTURES
Ireland vs England, Aviva Stadium, Saturday February 2, 4;45pm local, Sunday 3:45am AEDT
Scotland vs Ireland, Murrayfield, Saturday February 9, 2:15pm local, Sunday 1:15am AEDT
Italy vs Ireland, Stadio Olimpico, Sunday February 24, 4pm local, Monday 2am AEDT
Ireland vs France, Aviva Stadium, Sunday March 10, 3pm local, Monday 2am AEDT
Wales vs Ireland, Principality Stadium, Saturday March 16, 2:45pm local, Sunday 1:45pm AEDT
http://www.rugby.com.au/news/2019/01...wales-scotland