"Big names miss out" 15 Players NOT selected for the 2026 Six Nations

Sunday, 01 February 2026 at 17:46

byTom Sansom

The squads have been picked for the 2026 Guinness Men's Six Nations, with six training camps currently underway across Europe as the opening round draws ever nearer.

The stage is set for another exhilarating installment of 'Rugby's Greatest Championship', however, not everyone is fortunate enough to get the call for the incoming competition.

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In this article, we're taking a look at the players that did not make the grade for their respective nations, or who have been laid out with untimely injuries from their respective training camps. It won't be a surprise to know that France head coach Fabien Galthie comes up multiple times in this article, as we are set for a new-look Les Bleus side, brimming with eight uncapped talents and some high-profile omissions.

ABSENT XV: THE PLAYERS NOT SELECTED FOR 2026 SIX NATIONS

15. Ange Capuozzo (Italy & Stade Toulousain)

We kick off our line-up with a glaring omission from Gonzalo Quesada's squad, as Ange Capuozzo has missed out on a place in the Italian team for this year's Championships. The Toulouse pocket rocket has scored 11 tries in all competitions for 2025/26, yet sustained a fractured finger back in December that has ruled him out of contention for now. Capuozzo is often viewed as an integral part of the Italian back-three, as he starred in the Azzurri's Autumn triumphs over Australia and Chile back in November.

14. Damien Penaud (France & Bordeaux-Begles)

The first of a trio of high profile France players, that have not made the cut for Fabien Galthie's side despite being fit and firing for the Championships. France's all-time top try scorer Damien Penaud has not been selected for the competition, in a move that raised a few eyebrows for Les Bleus.

The Bordeaux-Begles speedster bagged two tries in France's Autumn defeat to South Africa, and also featured in the wins over Fiji and Australia. Galthie has instead entrusted uncapped wings Gael Draen (RC Toulon) and Aaron Grandidier-Nkanang (Pau) in the squad, along with previously capped flyers Théo Attissogbé (Pau) and Louis Bielle-Biarrey (Bordeaux-Begles), who was the 2025 Six Nations Player of the Tournament following his stunning eight-try haul.

13. Gael Fickou (France & Racing 92)

Onto the second high-profile omission, with established France midfielder Gael Fickou not given the nod from Fabien Galthie this time around. It's an interesting decision not to unleash the centre for the Championship, as the Racing man is just two caps away from making the century in the famous blue.

Fickou has been a mainstay in the France midfield since making his debut back in 2013, and has even took on the captain's armband as recently as the 2025 Summer Tour to New Zealand. Despite this, Galthie has called up the uncapped duo of Stade Francais' Noah Nene and Fabien Brau-Boirie of Pau, along with once-capped Stade Toulousain man Kalvin Gouges in Fickou's place.

12. Robbie Henshaw (Ireland & Leinster)

Now, we move on to a duo of Ireland midfielders that are currently not taking part in the Portugal training camp for two very different reasons. Robbie Henshaw gets the nod for this team, as the Leinster man is set to miss the Six Nations with an unfortunate knee injury, which he sustained in the Champions Cup victory over Bayonne.

All the while, Ireland's resident wrecking ball Bundee Aki has been left at home, as a discliplinary ban sees the midfielder miss out on Ireland's opening three matches. The Connacht man will play no part in Ireland's upcoming clashes against France, Italy and England, due to his comments made to United Rugby Championship match officials following his provinces defeat to Leinster. The ban does not dismiss Aki from the entire campaign, with the centre expected to return once his tenure has been served.

11. Rio Dyer (Wales & Dragons)

Moving onto the first Welsh star that could count himself as unlucky to miss the cut. The era of Steve Tandy has begun down at the Vale, with the newly appointed Wales head coach deciding to omit Rio Dyer from the squad despite an impressive run of form with the Dragons.

Dyer has been a stellar part of the Men of Gwent's efforts in the EPCR Challenge Cup, yet the 26-year-old will instead remain in Newport, with uncapped Leicester Tigers man Gabriel Hamer-Webb preferred in his place. It's a statement of intent from Tandy, as Hamer-Webb is a former England U20 star, that has long gone overlooked by Steve Borthwick and his selectors.

10. Owen Farrell (England & Saracens)

Despite being one of the most established fly halves in any of the leading domestic leagues, there is no place in the wider England training squad for Owen Farrell. The former England captain made himself eligible for inclusion after returning to Saracens following a one-year stint with Racing 92, yet Steve Borthwick has instead opted for his preferred fly halves for the incoming campaign.

Borthwick has gone for the trio of George Ford, Marcus Smith and Fin Smith, with the Northampton Saints man completing his injury recovery with the squad in Girona, Spain. It's an interesting call to see Farrell miss out, after the 34-year-old was called upon for the British & Irish Lions tour and proved that he can still take a starring role on the Test stage. Farrell's last England match was the 2023 Rugby World Cup bronze final win over Argentina, and it could well be his last if this is any indication of future plans.

9. Alessandro Garbisi (Italy & Benetton)

We turn our attention back to the Azzurri, as there is no place in the squad for Alessandro Garbisi. Whist the brother to selected fly half Paolo Garbisi is not the first choice scrum half, Alessandro has been a repeat feature of the Italian squad since his Test debut against Romania in the Summer of 2022. In his place is the preferred halfback trio of Alessandro Fusco (Zebre), Martin Page-Relo (Bordeuax-Begles) and Exeter Chiefs star Stephen Varney.

1. Jack Boyle (Ireland & Leinster)

It has certainly been a turbulent time for Ireland's loose-head props. After injuries to the Leinster duo of Andrew Porter and Paddy McCarthy, fellow Dublin-based front row Jack Boyle looked set to make his long awaited Ireland debut. However, disaster struck in Boyle's final outing for his province as he sustained a crushing Achille's injury in the URC derby win over Connacht.

The thinned out Irish ranks now saw uncapped Connacht prop Billy Bohan get the nod for the training camp, before since departing for the Ireland XV squad. Munster's two resident loose-head props, of Jeremy Loughman and Michael Milne will either start and bench for the opening Six Nations clash against France. Andrew Porter however, has been tipped for a late return to the Ireland squad should his recovery progress towards the latter stages of the competition.

2. Gregor Hiddleston (Scotland & Glasgow Warriors)

Whilst Scotland have pieced together quite the settled squad for the 2026 Six Nations, there is the stand-out omission of Gregor Hiddleston from the pre-tournament preparations. The 23-year-old has been a predominant stand-out feature for Glasgow Warriors this season, as Franco Smith's men have once again raced away to a stellar first half of their URC campaign.

Hiddleston has bagged seven tries in 12 matches, including a crucial score in Glasgow's stunning Champions Cup win over Toulouse. However, Gregor Townsend wants to see more from the young front row, with the hooker ranks filled out by the experienced trilogy of Ewan Ashman, Dave Cherry and soon to be Newcastle Red Bulls man George Turner.

3. Giosue Zilocchi (Italy & Benetton)

Italy provide another surprise omission from the Six Nations, with impressive young tight-head prop Giosue Zilocchi not called up by Gonzalo Quesada. The 29-year-old has been on the Italian fringes throughout his 10-capped career, which dates all the way back to the 2018 Summer clash with Japan under head coach Conor O'Shea. The Benetton man featured in Italy's Autumn win over Chile, yet Quesada has not re-called the tight-head for his Six Nations plans.

4. Tom Ahern (Ireland & Munster)

After initially being named in Andy Farrell's wider training squad for the 2026 Guinness Men's Six Nations, a prolonged neck injury has since withdrawn Munster lock Tom Ahern.

The second row was pulled from the Ireland group that was set to jet out to Portugal, due to the long injury which was reportedly sustained in the week of the Champions Cup clash with RC Toulon. Ahern was subsequently replaced by Ulster lock Cormac Izuchukwu with no immediate return in sight for the 25-year-old.

5. Nick Isiekwe (England & Saracens)

Looking at England now for the next two entries, and Steve Borthwick has not called up long term squad stalwart Nick Isiekwe for the pre-tournament preparations in Girona. The Saracen has not made the cut for the plane to Spain, despite a solid run of form with the North London club.

Isiekwe did not waste any time as he pushed for a return to Pennyhill Park, as he starred in Saracens' PREM Rugby Cup victory over Newcastle Red Bulls this past weekend. As they Six Nations take their toll throughout the coming weeks, you'd imagine that Isiekwe is on the stand-bye list for an England squad return as injury cover.

6. Jac Morgan (Wales & Ospreys)

Wales captain Jac Morgan has been sidelined for the start of the 2026 Guinness Men's Six Nations, as the back rower has yet to return from his shoulder injury sustained in the Autumn Nations Series. The British & Irish Lions star dislocated his shoulder in Wales' clash against Argentina, and the soon to be Gloucester man has been pushing for a return with the Six Nations on the horizon. There is an honourable mention in store for England and Bath star Ted Hill, who was overlooked for a place in Steve Borthwick's wider training camp.

7. Tommy Reffell (Wales & Leicester Tigers)

We keep it all things Welsh for the back row, yet Tommy Reffell's absence from Steve Tandy's squad was not a result of any injury. The Leicester Tigers man had played himself into a steady run of form, yet he had not done enough to impress the newly appointed Wales head coach for a place in the training camp. It's a tough one for the back row to take following a solid campaign across the Gallagher PREM and in the Champions Cup, with Reffell surely on the short-list for a late addition to the squad pending any injuries.

8. Gregory Alldritt (France & La Rochelle)

Plenty to consider for the number eight jersey, with the likes of Alex Dombrandt and Alfie Barbeary left out of the England camp and Taulupe Faletau unavailable for Wales through injury. However, we have opted to complete the trilogy of high profile players left out by Fabien Galthie, as Gregory Alldritt's omission from the France squad sent shock-waves through the rugby landscape ahead of the Six Nations.

The long standing sounding board to fellow co-captain Antoine Dupont, the La Rochelle man was not included in the training group, and returns back to Top 14 duties for Ronan O'Gara's side. Galthie has instead called upon uncapped Bordeaux-Begles man Temo Matiu and twice capped 22-year-old Lenni Nouchi of Montpellier, as viable options for the eight jersey for the coming months.

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