Fabien Galthie warns England to prepare for an onslaught

David Skippers
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Assistant coach Fabien Galthie during 2019 Rugby World Cup warm-up match France v Italy at Stade De France on August 30, 2019 in Paris, France. France won 47-19. Photo by Loic Baratoux/ABACAPRESS.COM

France head coach Fabien Galthie has warned England to prepare for an onslaught when the sides meet in their Six Nations opener on Sunday.

This was in reaction to England coach Eddie Jones’ promise of “brutal physicality” from his charges ahead of the encounter.

Jones opened the week outlining his vision for his team in the post-2019 World Cup era in an attempt to inspire them to reach new levels after leaving Japan as global runners-up.

But Galthie has returned fire with his own blueprint for success.

“We also have a plan,” said Galthie, who will be overseeing his first Six Nations match as head coach.

“Expect a ferocious pack. Expect a ferocious battle to win the ball. Expect my players to stand their ground with ferocious tackles and collisions. They will play with passion and go beyond their limits.”

Jones has caused upset in rugby circles on this side of The Channel through use of the word “brutal”, which when translated into French has explicit connotations of violence.

France manager and former captain Raphael Ibanez took a swipe at Jones for demanding blood and thunder from his players while watching from the stands.

“We’ve been around for 30 years and we’ve always been hearing those kind of declarations,” he said.

“This concept of physical violence is interesting. But if you think about it, the England manager and us have one thing in common – on Sunday we will be in the stands.

“So it’s easy to talk about physical violence when you’re watching from the stands.”

France