Sawt Falasteen - Galthie's Covid absence 'not ideal' for Dupont's France

On Friday, Galthie told AFP he had tested positive for the virus and had stepped away from his hands on duties, having been in isolation since Wednesday.

Team manager Raphael Ibanez will take over the role from Galthie, who will follow the match and give coaching instructions from the team's hotel, for Sunday's fixture at the Stade de France.

"We haven't felt an immense difference in the way we train, we know Fabien is behind it all," Dupont told an eve-of-match press conference.

"We're adapting to the situation, if it's not ideal, we deal with it and it's gone well on the whole," he added.

World player of the year Dupont will continue to lead Les Bleus in the absence of regular skipper Charles Ollivon who also missed the autumn wins over Argentina, Georgia and New Zealand due to a long-term knee injury.

The 25-year-old has played just once, last Saturday's Top 14 loss to Racing 92, since December 11 due to a knee issue and after contracting Covid-19.

"I was able to rest," scrum-half Dupont said.

"It did me some good to play last week, even if it didn't go too well. I trained normally this week," he added.

- Not 'favourites' -

Les Bleus will be without prop Mohamed Haouas this weekend after the front-rower was handed an 18-month suspended sentence and fined 15,000 euros ($17,000) last week for his role in burglaries of tobacconists in 2014.

Haouas started Montpellier's league fixture with Pau on Saturday.

"I think for us, and him, it's a relief. It liberates him to turn towards the present, which is the games he can play for his club and potentially coming back with us," Ibanez told the same press conference.

"He's a player that has always been exemplary. For him it's a moment for him to be able to continue to grow and express himself at the highest level, which he does well," he added.

According to the press at home and abroad, Dupont's side are contenders for the title, a first Six Nations success since 2010 but the half-back played down his outfit's chances after Ireland's impressive 29-7 win over Wales earlier on Saturday.

"When you see the Ireland match I'm not sure we're the big favourites," Dupont said.

"We're focused on what we want to do, where we want to go.

"It starts with this Italy match, who you cannot take lightly. We have enough to focus on without reading the predictions in the newspapers," he added.

A.Suleiman--SF-PST