{"id":434873,"date":"2026-01-24T17:33:09","date_gmt":"2026-01-24T17:33:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/434873\/"},"modified":"2026-01-24T17:33:09","modified_gmt":"2026-01-24T17:33:09","slug":"we-didnt-expect-it-and-we-were-surprised-like-everyone-else","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/434873\/","title":{"rendered":"‘We didn\u2019t expect it and we were surprised, like everyone else’"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Union Bordeaux-B\u00e8gles have played down concerns over Damian Penaud\u2019s shock omission from France\u2019s Six Nations<\/a> plans, with the winger backed to respond on the pitch after being left out of Fabien Galthi\u00e9\u2019s initial 42-man squad for the 2026 championship.<\/p>\n

It was easily the biggest surprise of the national squad selection announcements this week; France\u2019s all-time leading try-scorer left out in the cold and effectively overlooked for the opening-round clash with Ireland<\/a> in Dublin.<\/p>\n

Named on the wing for UBB\u2019s Top 14<\/a> match today with Stade Francais, Penaud failed to score in the home side\u2019s shock 28-33 loss at the Chaban-Delmas Stadium.<\/p>\n

Speaking before the game, Bordeaux<\/a> captain Nicolas Depoortere<\/a> confirmed that Penaud has already spoken with the France<\/a> coaching staff following his non-selection and said the winger is clear on what is required to force his way back into contention.<\/p>\n

\u201cDamian has had contact with the staff,\u201d Depoortere said. \u201cHe\u2019s experienced, he knows what he has to do. He has everything in his hands to try to come back as quickly as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

Depoortere admitted Penaud\u2019s absence came as a surprise within the Bordeaux squad, given his standing in the game and his long-established role in France\u2019s back three.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s delicate because it\u2019s still Damian Penaud<\/a>, a big name in rugby,\u201d he said. \u201cWe didn\u2019t expect it and we were surprised, like everyone else. But we\u2019re supporting him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Crucially for Bordeaux, there is little concern that the decision will have a negative impact on Penaud\u2019s confidence, with the winger known for responding strongly when challenged.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen he feels challenged, he\u2019s capable of producing very, very big performances,\u201d Depoortere said.<\/p>\n

Yannick Bru, the UBB manager, was of the same opinion as his captain.<\/p>\n

\u201cDamian is a unique character; he\u2019s always chasing different trophies,\u201d said Bru. \u201cHe wants to be the top passer in the Champions Cup, which is why he doesn\u2019t want to sprint anymore; he wants to set up tries!<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you take stock, there are far more positives than negatives, so thank you, Damian!\u201d<\/p>\n

Galthi\u00e9 \u2013 for his part \u2013 sought to frame the suprise omissions [including centre Gael Fickou<\/a> and No.8 Gregory Alldritt] as part of a broader selection process rather than a reflection on the players\u2019 standing within the squad, insisting that established figures remain central to his long-term plans despite being left out of this initial group.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are still important players in this second stint. But a selection is a snapshot in time,\u201d he told L\u2019Equipe. <\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to be fair, create healthy competition and a sense of shared ambition. There\u2019s a reassuring, supportive psychological approach, close to what we call confidence, but you also have to be open to other potentials that I feel are just as strong as those I brought into the squad in 2020.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPotential players that people don\u2019t necessarily know about yet. Once again, the most important thing is to be fair. And that\u2019s the case for these three players.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat does it mean to be an undisputed starter for the French national team? It\u2019s a good question, but I don\u2019t have the answer.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe rule of this game and of selection is that those who deserve it get their place.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey deserved it immensely, and they will surely deserve it in the future. I\u2019m certain they\u2019ll come back to us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAt no point is there any questioning of what they have done for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s certainly a decision that left the wider English-speaking rugby world scratching its collective heads too, with many ascribing it to the capricious selection tendencies of Galthie.<\/p>\n

\u201cWould any other nation look at Damian Penaud, one of the very best in the world in his position, capable of winning games almost single-handedly, and go\u2026 \u201cnah, you\u2019re alright\u201d?,\u201d wrote rugby pundit and journalist Ross Harries on X.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Union Bordeaux-B\u00e8gles have played down concerns over Damian Penaud\u2019s shock omission from France\u2019s Six Nations plans, with the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":434874,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[567],"tags":[64,63,760,85],"class_list":["post-434873","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-rugby","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-rugby","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/434873","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=434873"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/434873\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/434874"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=434873"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=434873"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=434873"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}