'no Awkardness' For Antoine Dupont's France With Oscar Jegou, Hugo Auradou Selection

France captain Antoine Dupont said on Thursday the inclusion of Oscar Jegou and Hugo Auradou in the team to face Wales in this week's Six Nations opener has had no impact on the squad.

Flanker Jegou and lock Auradou were investigated over rape claims last year before they were dismissed and have been named on the bench for Friday's game in Paris where they will make first Test appearances since the incident.

The case in Argentina against the 21-year-old forwards was dropped in December, but the complainant's lawyer has appealed with a hearing set for February 10-11.

'I haven't felt any type of awkwardness this week or last week,' Dupont told reporters.

'We've stayed focused on our objective of this first match with all it signifies for the rest of the competition.