Guilhem Guirado will lead France out in the NatWest 6 Nations for the third year after being confirmed as Les Bleus captain for the 2018 Championship.
The hooker made his Championship debut as a replacement against Italy at the Stade de France in 2008 and has made 24 NatWest 6 Nations appearances since then.
Click here for the complete 2018 NatWest 6 Nations fixture list
Last year was his second Championship as captain and the 31-year-old led France to home wins over Scotland and Wales as well as victory over Italy in Rome.
Defeats to England and Ireland meant that Les Bleus finished third in the 2017 Championship on points difference just ahead of Scotland.
Guirado will lead a squad with a mix of youth and experience – the first to be selected by new head coach Jacques Brunel – with Les Bleus facing Ireland in their first game.
However, Morgan Parra and Brice Dulin will both miss France’s opening game of the NatWest 6 Nations due to injury and have been replaced in the squad by Baptiste Serin and Hugo Bonneval.
France’s first NatWest 6 Nations fixture of 2018 sees them take on Ireland on Saturday 3rd February, 4:45pm at the Stade de France.
What are France’s 2018 NatWest 6 Nations fixtures?
France v Ireland, Sat 3 Feb 2018, 4:45pm Scotland v France, Sun 11 Feb 2018, 3:00pm France v Italy, Fri 23 Feb 2018, 8:00pm France v England, Sat 10 Mar 2018, 4:45pm Wales v France, Sat 17 Mar 2018, 5:00pm
Visit our NatWest 6 Nations fixtures 2018 section find out full fixture details including dates and kick-off times.