Ex-Scotland star worried as Ireland poke ‘big, ugly French bear’
France after their Six Nations defeat to Ireland in 2024.
Former number eight Johnnie Beattie fully expects a response from France after their heavy defeat to Ireland in Marseille.
Fabien Galthie’s men got off to the worst possible start following a 38-17 reversal at the hands of Andy Farrell’s side last weekend.
Les Bleus were slack from the first whistle and eventually shipped five tries in the loss to Ireland in the Six Nations opener.
Beattie’s experience in France
An inquest into the shock result immediately started and Beattie, who played for Montpellier, Castres and Bayonne in the Top 14, insists that they will be much better at Murrayfield.
“The one thing to know about Fabien Galthie’s team is that they are a very, very proud bunch of Frenchmen, a group that’s hurting having just been humiliated on their home patch,” he said in his BBC Sport column
“A big, ugly bear has been poked with a huge stick and it’s now heading for Edinburgh. They know that if they lose to Scotland on Saturday then their Six Nations is over. Pride is on the line.
“It’s a cultural thing with French rugby. I saw it in every club I played with and against, and it’s more relevant to France than anywhere else, I think. When you’re embarrassed in front of your own fans, you’d better react.
“The French rugby public have gone nuts since Friday’s loss to Ireland. They have gone through the coaches and the players. It’s been unsparing.
“Those fans will demand that France take no prisoners at Murrayfield. This is what’s coming.”
Beattie also pointed out that this is a French team missing plenty of talent and one that is trying to adapt after seeing some key coaches leave following the World Cup.
“Huge changes have been made in the way this team is being prepared. Galthie is still the head of everything, but much of his backroom staff have gone,” he said.
“Thibault Giroud, the head of performance and conditioning, has left for Bordeaux. Kharim Ghezal has gone to Stade Francais as forwards coach. Laurent Labit has also gone to Stade as head coach.
“This is a France team with new coaches trying to bed-in and new systems which haven’t yet settled. It’s a French team that’s played a lot of rugby already this season, a French team now missing not just (Antoine) Dupont and (Romain) Ntamack, but also the excellent Thibaud Flament, the gigantic Emmanuel Meafou and (Paul) Willemse, who’s suspended.
“But I go back to the bear that’s been poked with a big stick. They’ll arrive in Edinburgh without some world-class players who helped make them Grand Slam champions in 2022, but they’ll be carrying some amount of fury with them. Proud players, these. The backlash is coming.
Fatigue
The French players may also be suffering from fatigue, according to Beattie, with them going straight from the World Cup into the Top 14.
In comparison, the Irish side got plenty of rest and, as a result, looked far fresher going into their Six Nations encounter last Friday.
“After the World Cup the Irish lads got rested and rotated and got eased into the new season. The French boys went back to their clubs and have pretty much started every game since then,” the former Scotland back-row added.
“I’m not sure they’ve had a chance to mentally digest what happened to them at the World Cup and, physically, they’ve been on the hamster wheel ever since.”
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