France to just miss out after tough schedule

Colin Newboult
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Antoine Dupont (FRA) celebrates his try with Cyril Baille during the Rugby Test Match France vs Wales in Stade de France, Saint Denis, France on October 24, 2020. Photo by Julien Poupart/ABACAPRESS.COM

Next in our set of previews ahead of the Six Nations we examine the prospects of last year’s second place finishers, Fabien Galthie’s France.

Two years away from hosting Rugby World Cup 2023, France look a stable, well-coached and improving side. With a backroom management team of Galthie, Shaun Edwards and Raphael Ibanez, they’ve finally started to bolt on the process and discipline to maximize the immense talent within their country and, as they improve with each game they play, and with an impressive player depth across the park, their recent form suggests they may very well be one of the favourites to win the Webb Ellis Cup in their own backyard if they continue on their upward trajectory.

Last year

They started off with a crackerjack display in Paris where a partisan crowd drove Charles Ollivon and his team to a 24-17 win over England, with the skipper bagging a brace. Only a red card in the match against Scotland halted their progress to a potential Grand Slam and they finished second to the Red Rose on points difference.

What was encouraging was both the style of fluent rugby played together with the personal performances of some key players, notably the compelling displays of Toulouse scrum-half Antoine Dupont and Ollivon himself, who headed the Six Nations playing statistics with the most tackles made, most lineouts won and most tries (four) in the 2020 tournament.

Their Autumn Nations Cup campaign went right down to the wire too, losing to England narrowly in the final despite having to field something akin to a second string due to player availability agreements with the Top 14.

Nevertheless, their campaign was impressive and demonstrated clearly the depth of player quality they have at their disposal, with a particular shoutout to back-row Cameron Woki and fly-half Matthieu Jalibert, two players who shone during the deary lockdown days of November.

This year

France’s biggest challenge this season is to transform themselves from perennial bridesmaids to glorious brides, and to bolt on titles to the undoubted style of rugby they’ve played.

Whilst almost complete in their armoury of tactics and depth of position, unusually for a French team, they’re a couple of world-class props away from the finished article and the drive to identify back-ups at loosehead and a starter at tighthead will be top of their shopping list.

Above all, it’s the knack of closing out titles that France will want to become a habit. There’s still a chink of soft underbelly within this French side and top of the list of priorities for France is to remove those occasional defeats into a culture of consistent winning when things become tight.

Key players

Racing 92’s Bernard le Roux has made a remarkable transition from a journeyman flanker to a world-class enforcer as France’s tight lock and his formidable presence is quite talismanic for France.

In the back-row, Gregory Alldritt’s power in carry and over the ball contrasts well with the leggy pace and carrying ability of France’s ‘Captain Fantastic’, Charles Ollivon.

At half-back, Antoine Dupont lays claim to being the best rugby player in the world right now and whilst Romain Ntamack’s credentials are without question, his jaw injury means he’ll miss the first two rounds and as a result will face stiff competition from both Jalibert and Louis Carbonel when he’s available to return.

In the backline, Gael Fickou’s captaincy of the rearguard has seen responsibility increase his effectiveness immensely and his silky running and powerful defence is sure to create opportunities for the talent of Teddy Thomas outside him.

Whilst there may be question marks over the propping options, there’s no such issue at hooker, where France can choose between the bullocking runs of Camille Chat – even though he misses the opener through injury – or the technical excellence of Toulouse’s Julien Marchand.

Players to watch

Whilst Anthony Bouthier has been a great asset to France, with his siege gun boot and pacy runs threatening all the sides he’s played against, Brice Dulin’s return from injury adds another option of running brilliance to the back three.

In the back-row, Dylan Cretin, Selevasio Tolofua, Sekou Macalou, Cameron Woki and Francois Cros provide France with a ridiculous level of depth across all three positions, one we believe will become a straight shoot-out between the explosive talents of Woki and the pragmatic breakdown and defensive work of Cros, a classical openside in the mould of Thierry Dusautoir and Serge Betsen before him.

At fly-half, we alluded to Ntamack’s claims, but for the first two rounds, Matthieu Jalibert is sure to start, continuing the form he showed in November. Whilst Ntamack’s running is quite peerless at times, there’s a feeling amongst many good judges that Jalibert is the more complete game controller, able to play flat in the faces of the defence, but with a consummate kicking game to change up tactics. He is already close to being the most complete fly-half around and we expect him to cement his claims to the starting berth in France’s early campaign.

At prop, Cyril Baille, the baby faced assassin, has grown into his role in the Top 14 and will anchor the loosehead, whilst behind him, we expect Romain Taofifenua’s 6’7″ frame to step up another level and pressure the ever-improving Paul Willemse for a start alongside Le Roux at lock.

Prospects

As with England, anything less than a Six Nations title and a Grand Slam will be considered a below par return, but with three games on the road and a penultimate fixture against England at Twickenham, their calendar is marginally more daunting that the one their perennial foes have drawn.

An easy start against Italy will warm France for a testing trip to Dublin, where February’s weather can be less than hospitable. It’s essential to position their squad to peak against Ireland, as failure there will expose France to the prospect of knowing one more loss will see them finish in the bottom two or three.

As mentioned previously, the key for France is to remove that one poor performance a year from their schedule; that single moment of indiscipline or error that costs them not only a match but an entire campaign.

The prospect of Les Bleus transforming themselves from flawed geniuses to compelling winners is a frightening one for the rugby community indeed. However, it just might be that, for the first time in many years, they have the key ingredients of quality, management, discipline and culture aligned.

If that is the case, world be scared. Very scared. Second place.

Fixtures

Saturday, February 6 v Italy (Stadio Olimpico)
Sunday, February 14 v Ireland (Aviva Stadium)
Sunday, February 28 v Scotland (Stade de France)
Saturday, March 13 v England (Twickenham)
Saturday, March 20 v Wales (Stade de France)

By James While

 

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