Ones to watch: France

While some of those were forced by last summer's tour to Argentina which took place without players from the Top 14 semi-finalists, Novès gave four players their debuts during the RBS 6 Nations.

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With that in mind we've picked out three players who are battling to be part of France's future with a view to the 2018 Championship.

Antoine Dupont

France have no shortage of talent when it comes to scrum-half, with Baptiste Serin flourishing in his first RBS 6 Nations campaign this season.

Waiting in the wings was Castres 20-year-old Antoine Dupont, who was part of the French Under-20s team last season.

Blessed with incredible pace, Dupont has been a regular fixture for Castres this season, battling for game-time with another France scrum-half, Rory Kockott.

His form was enough to earn a call-up when Maxime Machenaud suffered an injury before France's trip to Italy and he made his debut in Rome before playing a leading role in Paris a week later.

Coming on with seven minutes to go, Dupont ended up playing the best part of half-an-hour, and showed off his handling and quick feet as France hammered away at the Welsh line.

Headed for Toulouse next season, Dupont relished his opportunity and will be hoping to feature on this summer's tour to South Africa.

He said after the game: "I don't think anyone expected to the Championship to end that way. It was a happy ending for us, so it's great.

"And for my part, I was able to stay on the pitch for longer, so there's an added pleasure."

Arthur Iturria

Another player who made his debut in the RBS 6 Nations, Clermont second row Arthur Iturria featured off the bench against England in the opening game.

While he did not feature again in the 2017 Championship, Iturria looks to be one for the future, and at the age of 22 he has established as a key man at Clermont.

#XVdeFrance le maillot d'Arthur Iturria pour sa première avec le XV de France ?#ANGFRA #soutienslexv pic.twitter.com/EvRURlfMxN

- FF Rugby (@FFRugby) February 4, 2017

Selected to start in their Champions Cup quarter-final this weekend, ahead of France teammate Paul Jedrasiak and Springbok international Flip van der Merwe, Iturria's real strength is in his athleticism.

Called up by Novès initially in November, although he did not feature, Iturria has enjoyed a breakthrough season at Clermont.

It started with a fine display in his first home game against Racing, and then an eye-catching run of more than 50 metres against Bayonne that underlined his incredible athleticism for a second row.

A strong option in the lineout and very active around the park, Iturria has the making of a modern lock who could be a key player for France over the coming years.

Gabriel Ngandebe

A standout for France Under-20s in 2016, Massy winger Gabriel Ngandebe missed the first four games of the Under-20s Six Nations as he recovered from a knee ligament injury.

He made his return against Wales in a 40-20 success as France finished second overall, and showed his electric feet in a livewire display.

Born in Cameroon, and having moved to France when he was nine years old, Ngandebe is a diminutive winger who relies on his speed and quick feet.

They were on display last year in a warm-up game ahead of the World Rugby Under-20s Championship when he scored an incredible try against Scotland, coincidentally taking the ball from Dupont.

?2/10? Pour finir 2016 voici le Top 10 des essais de l'année. Ici l'essai de Gabriel Ngandebe avec les U20! ? pic.twitter.com/iu5pFaHCd6

- FF Rugby (@FFRugby) December 30, 2016

And while his current club Massy - who have produced promising back-row trio Yacouba Camara, Sekou Macalou and Judicaël Cancoriet in recent seasons - will be in Pro D2 next season, Ngandebe certainly has the potential to be a threat at any level.

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