France need revolution to catch up says Saint-Andre
PHILIPPE SaintAndre claims France are now lagging “ten years behind England” and that radical changes to the Top 14 are needed if Les Bleus are to stand any chance of being a top rugby nation once again.
Defeats to New Zealand and South Africa and a dismal draw with Japan saw France slump to ninth in the world rankings after a November series that exposed flawed thinking by Top 14 sides, who for a decade have relied on foreign stars.
Legendary France wing and former Sale Sharks rugby director Saintin Andre, who now commentates on Premiership matches for French TV, told The Rugby Paper: “What we are seeing with France now is the result of a very wrong system.
“For a long time we have been happy to claim the Top 14 is the best league in the world, but teams have been champions with 12, 13 or 14 overseas players on the pitch so one generation of young French players have just not played.
“Many of our best young players are playing in the second division or Federale One because there are no opportunities in the Top 14.
“In France, chairmen stopped the academies because they believed it was better to spend the money on big names, but England the academies are working because you see young players playing and the depth is so strong.
“France has been so short-sighted and we are now ninth in the world and drew at home to Japan. We are ten years behind England and it’s very sad for a big rugby country like France. There must be a revolution to try and catch up.”
Saint-Andre proposes a smaller French top-flight, limits on numbers of foreign players and more emphasis on academies, adding: “We have started to put some structures in place but I would go further. The Top 14 is too many games so we should cut it to 12 teams and we cannot have more than five overseas players in a 15.
“We need to nurture a new generation, which means restoring our academies and giving our young players a chance to play. Rob Andrew was criticised for putting structures in place in England ten years ago, but look at them now.
“We need 24-30 months under new rules and we have to be patient, but this is the only way France can ever be really strong again.” Despite France’s parlous state, SaintAndrew insists there are signs of hope ahead of the Six Nations with the emergence of young talent.
He said: “We have very good young back rows in Sekou Macalou, Judicael Cancoriet, and Fabien Sanconnie, an excellent scrum-half in Antoine Dupont and hooker Camille Chat and winger Gabriel Lacroix, so there is some promise.
“November was our worst month ever but now we must wake up, make sure these guys play and give them a structure to perform, because what we have seen in the last few years has been the result of a country with no vision.”