A France rugby revolution may be upon us – and Saracens are at threat
Excitement growing over the Channel as Edwards and Ibanez look to add some steel to Gallic flair
Ihonestly cannot wait for the Saracens match this afternoon. I see it as almost a defining moment for the club, given the criticism they have faced over the past fortnight. A real test of their courage going away to Racing 92. Saracens are under the microscope at the moment. And they will be desperate to show that the team culture they have built up over so many seasons is strong enough to withstand all the questions and politics surrounding them at present.
But there is another reason I am particularly keen to see today’s game. I am just incredibly excited about French rugby at the moment. There is a real whiff of cordite in the air, the sense that a French rugby revolution may be upon us. You can feel it from the way the Top 14 clubs are playing. They have rediscovered a bit of their old swagger – particularly Toulouse.
Watching the way the old aristocrats of Europe came back against Gloucester at Kingsholm on Friday night was hugely impressive. Toulouse dominated possession at one of the toughest grounds in England and absolutely deserved the win. They are only going to get stronger. The warning signs were there last year, with that tight win over then European champions Leinster. Toulouse went on to have a wonderful season and their young players, such as Thomas Ramos, Antoine Dupont and Romain Ntamack, are only going to be better for the experience they gained at the recent World Cup.
Now it is Racing’s turn to put the reigning champions under pressure from week one, particularly with the comments from Sarries coach Mark McCall that Europe, under their current circumstances, will not be the club’s priority. I would not put it past them at all. They are big and strong if not as entertaining as Toulouse.
However, I anticipate Saracens will be very focused and competitive even without their main England contingent, as they showed against Gloucester last week. The environment they have created is incredible. It is not all about money.
Having great players is nothing without the right culture and McCall has been incredibly astute at developing that environment.
But they are going to have their work cut out in Paris. You can feel the confidence growing among the French teams. La Rochelle let the side down a bit yesterday, falling 12-31 at home to Exeter. They tried to play their usual offloading game but made far too many errors. Clearly, it is going to take time for Ronan O’Gara’s ideas to take root. But you have to give huge credit to the Chiefs. That was some statement from Rob Baxter’s team against a side who had not lost at home since March. The Champions Cup really is the final frontier as far as Exeter are concerned and that performance will give Baxter so much satisfaction.
They forced those errors, targeting the ball carrier and the support runner. This could be just the springboard they need.
La Rochelle will be back. They, like the other French clubs, are about to get a real boost from the top down in the form of Shaun Edwards.
I am not sure whether people realise quite what a coup France have pulled off. We have been saying for years that if France ever got their act together and brought a coach in who could organise them, they would be unstoppable. They might well have done it now.
Not only signing Edwards, one of the best defence coaches in the world, but Rafa Ibanez as well. Rafa was the first player I signed at Wasps and I always say he was my greatest signing. He was critical to the success of that Wasps team – his attitude and leadership. He was the missing piece of the jigsaw. The arrival of Edwards and Ibanez changes the whole dynamic of the French national team. With Rafa there, Shaun will not have any communication issues. He will be able to get his ideas across. And believe me, Shaun has a lot of ideas.
You have to get to know Shaun a bit before he opens up to you. He is quite wary as a character. I remember it taking a little time when I arrived at Wasps. But once he trusts you, he is unbelievably loyal. And his energy is infectious. I would choose to work with him every day of the week. A genuine friend. I believe he is going to have a huge impact on France. He will raise standards; demand more. The discipline he brings, how hard you have to work off the ball.
I have such fond memories of our time together at Wasps. Of our brainstorming sessions with the other coaches every week over cake and tea.
I would leave the club at 6pm or so and Shaun would probably ring me three or four times more that night. He never stopped. If he had an idea he had to talk about it. And as I say, he had a lot of ideas. We still share notes even to this day. We exchange regular text messages.
France have already shown the talent they have and the game they are capable of playing, the challenge is delivering it when it matters. They were probably 20 points better than Wales in that World Cup quarter-final, utterly irresistible in that first half. If it was not for Sebastien Vahaamahina’s red card they would surely have gone through to face South Africa. Who knows how different the World Cup might have been. If they can add consistency and resoluteness, two hallmarks of Edwards-coached teams, if they become difficult to beat, if they keep and grow a collective defensive discipline, they will be some opposition.
Just a final thought, what if England had, as I am sure at the time they could have done, appointed both Shaun and Warren Gatland post the 2007 World Cup. Add Martin Johnson as manager, and that really would have got the juices flowing. What might have been.