FRENCH COLUMN
Bernard Laporte asks clubs to decide on future of Guy Noves
“One international French player is said to have concerns about representing his country in case it damages his image”
The job of France head coach Guy Noves hangs on an opinion poll conducted by his bosses. That is the extraordinary method by which Federation president Bernard Laporte is expected to arrive at a decision on the future of Noves tomorrow.
He mandated Serge Simon, his No.2, to carry out the research by questioning Top 14 coaches and presidents.
As well as playing members of the France team that has won just seven of their last 21 games, so plunging the country’s rugby into a crisis which demands urgent action.
Whether that involves sacking Noves and his staff coaches Yannick Bru and Jean-Frederic Dubois is an option on the table.
All three may have discerned a clue last Tuesday when Simon talked to them as part of his audit.
Simon was originally appointed to accompany the national team before tensions with Noves led to his taking a back seat.
You might think Noves deserves better than having around 30 people who have never done his job being used as a sounding board on his future. Especially since none of them comes within a country mile of matching his career record of ten championships and four European Cups with Toulouse.
And it is possible to view the whole process as a means of pushing him towards a resignation that would save his employers a serious amount of money.
Noves, though, is too battle-hardened for that. He says: “I have never thought of resigning. I obviously regret what is happening at the moment, but I have a mission that still has two years to run. The players expect to have a real leader in me.”
So what will Simon’s marathon talk-in have achieved? Laporte already knows because he has read the resume prepared for him in writing by his right-hand man.
He says he expected Simon to make his own proposals based on his investigation before making the final decision himself.
This could involve modifying or firing the staff or even forming a new selection committee featuring Top 14 coaches.
One thing it will not involve is the return to action of Laporte, himself, even though he outranks everyone else in that regard.
He says: “If it were enough for me to put my tracksuit back on, I would do it, but that is not the problem.
“I have to find the solution to having a good Six Nations tournament, to being competitive in the 2019 World Cup and to have the 2023 edition as a target.
“The France team has a duty to win and excite people. I am giving the word to coaches and presidents. We have not involved them before but things are no longer working. So let us listen to them.”
The excellence of England in the charge of Eddie Jones only exacerbates the growing feeling of helplessness. There is, though, little support for the idea of inviting the first foreigner to become national team boss in France history.
If Laporte wanted that to change, he has New Zealander Vern Cotter at hand with Montpellier.
French coaches cited by the media as potential replacements are Jacques Brunel, of Bordeaux-Begles, once Laporte’s deputy with France, Pierre Mignoni, of Lyon, Franck Azema, of Clermont, Fabien Galthie, of Toulon, and Patrice Collazo of La Rochelle.
Simon says: “Instead of doing what everyone expected of him and cutting off heads, Bernard has chosen to innovate. He wants to profit from this time when all our rugby is motivated to get the Blues out of a rut by involving everyone.”
According to former France greats like Serge Blanco and Fabien Pelous, that stance is mere window-dressing. They have publicly lambasted Laporte for running a dictatorship which often leaves them in the dark despite their places on the Federation’s management committee.
Both were on the losing side during the election won a year ago by Laporte over former president Pierre Camou, their own favoured candidate. Laporte responds: “It is a denial of reality to speak of dictatorship when the clubs, for the first time, have been able to express themselves freely in a vote.
“Those speaking in the media are not seen a great deal attending the Federation committee to which they were elected.”
He is perhaps more vulnerable to the legal probe into accusations he favoured Montpellier at a disciplinary hearing while in their pay.
He says, however: “It is of no consequence. I have taken note of this and also of the fact the Minister of Sport has said there was no proof.
“I have nothing to reproach myself for. So, if I have to explain things to the judges, I will do.”
Of more immediate importance is the state of French rugby. One international player is said to have concerns about representing his country in case it damages his image.
If that is so, France may be in bigger trouble than they think.